Local all-stars ready to compete in state tourney

By By Ryan Satcher / staff writer
July 24, 2003
For just the second time ever, the East Mississippi Baseball Association 11-12-year-old all-stars have a chance to compete in the Dixie Youth Major League State Tournament.
EMBA will open with the host team in Magee when the tournament gets started on Saturday. The two teams will face off at 8 p.m.
The team earned the trip to Magee by winning the Dixie Youth District IV Tournament last weekend. EMBA battled through the tournament and held off Philadelphia National in the championship game to advance.
One of the big stars for East Mississippi during the district tournament was Kevin Roberts. He led the team with three home runs during the double-elimination tournament. Roberts hit a pair of two-run homers against Philadelphia National and East Mississippi scored four runs in the seventh inning and held on for the 9-5 win to advance.
Chris Winkleblech was the star on the mound for East Mississippi in the championship game as he pitched a complete game to pick up the win.
Winkleblech also pitched well in the opening game of the tournament as he and Tyler Hughes two-hit Sebastopol in a 10-0 victory.
After the win over Sebastopol, EMBA dropped its second game of the tournament to Westside 10-6. The two teams faced each other again the next day and Dillon Boatner pitched a gem to give EMBA a 3-1 victory.
East Mississippi then moved into the finals and beat Philadelphia to take the district title.
The competition in the state tournament should be even better than the team faced in the district tournament, but EMBA should be ready to compete.
Nine teams will be in the double-elimination Dixie Youth Major League State Tournament.