Featured image: (L to R): Back Row: Coaches Nick traffanstedt, Reggie lang, Seth Adams, Brent Killian, and Cody McAteer; 2nd Row: Gavin Lang, Marc Anthony Hernandez, Sam Stewart, Tyde Traffanstedt, Mason McAteer, Yensi Flamenco, Perry Stewart, Tony Henderson, Issac Basurto, Sylas Adams
By Joseph M. Morgan
Editor and Publisher
COLLINSVILLE, Ala.— The Collinsville 8-under Dixie Youth All-Star team recently took 9th place in the Alabama Dixie Youth State Tournament, coming up just shy of a bid to the big stage and the Dixie Youth World Series.
As Alabama Dixie Youth All-Stars District 8 Champions, the Collinsville 7-8 All-Stars were the only team in DeKalb to win their District Championship outright.
South DeKalb-Collinsville’s 8-under All-Star team was made up of the combined Collinsville-1 and Collinsville-2 regular season teams from District 8. Both Panthers teams went undefeated through the regular season (other than losses to each other) and the combined all-star team went undefeated through the district tournament, advancing to sub-state where they would ultimately finish the tournament with 1 win and 2 losses.
The 2016 Collinsville 7-8 All-Star team is the first team in more than 40 years of Dixie Youth Baseball in Collinsville to win their District Championship outright and advance to the state tournament.
Teams in 1986 and 1993 made it to the District Championship finals, but ultimately fell short of state championship play. The 1993 Collinsville 11-12 All-Star team by 1 run to a team that would go on to place 2nd in the Dixie Youth World Series that year.
Former director of Collinsville’s Dixie Youth Baseball program James Coker said this year’s 7-8 all-star team was among the best that he has ever seen in Collinsville. Coker has been involved in Dixie Youth Baseball for the past 37 years and currently sits on the Collinsville Parks and Recreation Board.
“This year’s team was one of the best groups that has ever come through our Dixie Youth program,” Coker said. “There’s not a single member of the team that does not have strong support both on and off the field. They all have parents who work individually with them to make them better and are actively involved in their lives to show that they care a lot about the team and the Collinsville community as a whole. Our entire community is very proud of these boys and they no doubt have a bright future.”
