Their success in travel baseball this summer might make it easier for Clanton players Cameron Cummings and Trevor Thomas to make the transition from middle school to the high school level.

Cummings and Thomas, both rising freshmen at Chilton County High, were part of a travel team, Montgomery-based Alabama Seminoles, that recently won the Grand Slam organization’s World Series at Panama City Beach, Fla.

After losing their first game of the tournament, the Seminoles won 11 games in four days and seven games in two days. They had to defeat the Louisiana Jackhammers twice in the finals—1-0 and 5-0—to win the championship.

Cummings and Thomas played crucial roles. Cummings, a left-handed pitcher, pitched 11 innings and compiled a 1.63 ERA in the tournament. Thomas led all tournament batters with a .526 batting average.

Was it the biggest baseball accomplishment of the duo’s lives? “It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever won, period,” Thomas said.

It might not be that way forever. CCHS coach Josey Shannon worked with Cummings and Thomas while they were members of the Clanton Middle School team, and the two will compete for the junior varsity and possibly the varsity team this season.

Cummings and Thomas said their travel ball experience has helped prepare them for the challenges ahead.

“Most of the people we face throw just as hard as the people we’ll face in junior varsity and varsity,” Cummings said.