By Stephen Dawkins

Jemison’s 12-year-old all-star baseball team was still in a good mood after it was eliminated from the Dizzy Dean state tournament last week.
That’s because the team had been invited to compete in this weekend’s World Series in Southaven, Miss., after defeating defending state and World Series champion Northport National, 11-5, on Wednesday.
Coach Tommy Lenoir said he thinks the trip would mark the first time a Jemison team, regardless of age, has represented the state in a national tournament.
“It’s a huge, huge honor for our kids,” Lenoir said. “They’ve been practicing since the first week of March; they deserve it. So many people have put in so much-it makes it worth it.”
Lenoir said the top two or three teams from each state tournament are usually invited to the Dizzy Dean World Series, but Jemison drew an offer while there were still four teams left in the state tournament, being played in Columbiana.
Jemison was knocked out of the state tournament on Friday by Jackson County, 15-13, after drawing the World Series invitation two days earlier.
Trea Sanders hit five—three of which were grand slams—home runs in the state tournament. Also going yard were Phillip Lenoir, Will Lenoir (twins that homered in the same game, the win over Northport), Logan Ray and Conner Nason.
Compiling the team’s top batting averages were Phillip Lenoir (.800), Ray (.600), Nason (.579), Matthew Ramsey (.550) and Sanders (.529).
Lenoir said the team will need help raising money for the trip to the World Series and said anyone interested in helping should call him at 688-1115.
“We’ve got a lot to do, but we’re excited about being able to do this for our kids,” Lenoir said.