Bluffton’s U8 baseball and softball champions head to World Series

Seven years ago, a new sign appeared outside the gates of Oscar Frazier Park, honoring the first Bluffton team to claim a Diamond Youth Baseball state championship and advance to represent South Carolina in the organization’s regional World Series. Another appeared two years later when a group of all-stars from the same cohort of boys did it again.

This summer two more Bluffton teams will be memorialized with their own signs after winning state championships, including the first Bluffton team to advance to the Dixie Youth Softball World Series. It remains to be seen whether either team can take the next step and claim the town’s first World Series championship.

Winning a state championship is no small accomplishment, as evidenced by how long it took Bluffton to win its first and how few have followed since. It takes a special group of kids, all born within the same two-year span, and parents committed to helping them develop their talents to the fullest, often at the expense of just about everything else.

It takes weekend after weekend of practices and tournaments, thousands of dollars in tournament fees and travel expenses, countless hours in sweltering heat, and untold trips to the concession stand for more water or Gatorade.

And the sacrifices almost always begin years before the payoff finally comes.

In most cases, success is preceded, and even prompted, by a dose of humility. A team that breezes through the district tournament gets an eye-opening lesson at the state tournament, and disappointment gives way to determination. A travel team is formed, weekend tournaments are booked, and experience is gained in preparation for the following summer.

Even then, it is a grueling journey to survive to the end of the state tournament, outlasting teams that have been equally single-minded in their pursuit of a championship.
But Bluffton has an impressive group of 8-and-under all-stars, both boys and girls, and they’re ready to represent South Carolina in Laurel, Mississippi.

For the first time, Bluffton will be represented in the Dixie Youth Softball World Series. The girls open play July 16, hoping to reach the championship game on July 20.

And these girls know a little something about survival. After outscoring three opponents 56-3 in the district tournament, they faced adversity on the opening day of the state tournament, losing 21-16 to Williamston in just their second game. They responded by winning their next six games, including two victories over Williamston, 19-11 and 14-11, to claim the state championship and earn a trip to Mississippi.

The Bluffton American baseball squad also rolled through the district tournament, going 5-0 with three shutouts, an especially impressive feat considering the teams still play coach-pitch at that age. Even with the opposing coach pitching to his own batters, Bluffton posted three shutouts behind flawless defense while outscoring opponents 61-10.

The team won its first two games at the state tournament before losing 13-3 to Hartsville Northern and dropping into the loser’s bracket. It took three consecutive victories to reach the championship game, where Bluffton had to beat Hartsville Northern twice to win the state title. A 3-2 victory forced a winner-take-all final. Bluffton built a 4-0 lead, but Hartsville Northern rallied in the sixth inning, scoring two runs and bringing the tying run to the plate before the local boys closed the door and punched their ticket to the Diamond Youth Baseball World Series.

Coach Michael White’s team opens play July 23 in Laurel with two pool-play games before bracket play begins the following day.

Win or lose in Laurel, the future of baseball and softball in Bluffton appears brighter than ever with these all-stars coming through the pipeline, and this is unlikely to be their last opportunity to shine on the big stage.

Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and is the founder of Lowco Sports. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.