Shallotte hosts Dixie Youth district tournament

Shallotte and Town Creek parks are hosting the Dixie Youth AAA (10 and under) and the Majors (12 and under) district baseball tournaments Friday through Sunday.

The leagues are from Brunswick and New Hanover counties. The leagues are Wilmington Cape Fear Optimist, Leland, Town Creek, Lockwood Folly, Southport, Waccamaw and Shallotte.

The AAA winner advances to the state tournament, which will be in Clarkton, with the opening ceremony July 17 and the games July 18-25.

The Majors winner advances to the state tournament at West Robeson High School in Pembroke, with the opening ceremony July 17 and the games July 18-25.

The AAA and Majors state champions advance to the Dixie Youth World Series in Laurel, Miss., with the opening ceremony on Aug. 7 and the games Aug. 8-13.

Southport will be the site for the Dixie Junior Boys (13-year-olds) and Dixie Boys (14-year-olds) state tournament.

As host of the tourney, Brunswick County automatically qualified for the state tournament, said Rusty Armstrong, Dixie Boys state director.

The tournament begins July 18, and as host Brunswick will play the last game July 18 (time to be determined). Full brackets and times for the 14-year-olds and 13-year-olds will be posted at www.Dixie.org/boys.

The winner of the Dixie Junior Boys state tournament advances to the 12-team World Series Aug. 1-5 in Enterprise, Ala. The winner of the Dixie Boys state tournament advances to the 12-team World Series Aug. 1-5 in Seneca, S.C.

One other Brunswick County team will be playing in a Dixie state tournament, and that is the Brunswick County Debs, a team of 16- to 18-year-olds. The Debs will play in the N.C. Dixie Softball State Tournament, which begins July 10 at Cape Fear Optimist Park in Wilmington.

West is the defending state champion. The 2009 state champion advances to the Dixie Softball World Series, to be played July 31-Aug. 5 in Sumter, S.C.