During the opening day of the Tom Glasgow Park in Ackerman, the Choctaw County’s Summer Baseball Program was honored to recognize the 13-year old 2017 Choctaw County baseball team that won the Dizzy Dean State Championship at Horn Lake.
“It was probably one of the best tournaments I have seen in a long time,” Park Director James Turner said. “It had one of the greatest finishes that you would ever see in baseball. This was the first ever Choctaw County state championship summer league baseball team.”
For its efforts, the team was awarded a reception at the President’s Reception Room on the Mississippi State University campus in October 2017. Every player received an award during the ceremony as well as championship rings purchased by the sponsors from Choctaw County.
During this time of celebration, it was brought to the attention of Turner and others that in 2012 an Ackerman All-Star team had won a state championship in Columbus and went on to the Little League World Series.
“It had got overlooked during the hustle and bustle of what goes on in kid’s summer league,” Turner said. “At the end of the season, it was an oversight, not done on purpose by the park itself. But after realizing this had occurred, it was my pleasure to present a banner with that team’s picture, coaches, and names of the 2012 Ackerman All-Star team that won a state championship as well.”
One member of that 2012 was the late Moe Hardin, a CCHS student who recently passed after complications from a liver transplant.
“Not only did we present the banner for the team, the players, and the parents, but we honored his memory on the banner as well in memory of Moe Hardin and presented his mother with a bouquet of flowers and two different framed action shots of Moe during that 2012 tournament. This has been done through a lot of sponsors around this county and town and we definitely want to thank every one of those who contributed to these championship teams.”
Turner asks for parents, sponsors and all the fans to continue to support these kids in the Little League programs.
