Gary Walker’s Charlotte County Major League All-Star team had a great summer, and it established a positive tone that the older Dixie age groups have built upon.

But some in the community might say, “What older Dixie age groups?”

Managers like Trent Baker and Jeff Rapole want to make sure everyone in Charlotte County knows that there are Dixie opportunities on the diamond beyond the 11- and 12-year-old Majors division.

This year, with the help of some talent from neighboring counties, Charlotte’s 13-and-under (13U), 14U and 15U All-Star teams went undefeated in their respective state tournaments to advance to the World Series.

The Charlotte County 15U All-Stars just returned home from their Dixie Boys World Series in Ozark, Alabama, where they finished third out of 20 teams and won the tournament’s sportsmanship award.

I wrote about that team’s state run, which unfolded in Charlotte Court House, and in this week’s edition, I am giving attention to the success at the 13U and 14U age levels in the sports section.

In this column, I’d like to highlight the work of Manager Baker and the Charlotte County 13U All-Star team, which played the entirety of its Virginia Dixie Boys Jr. State Tournament Sunday, July 15, in Rocky Mount at Waids Park.

There were only two teams in the division this summer, and Charlotte County won both games of its doubleheader against the Bedford American All-Star team.

In the 9 a.m. game, Charlotte brought the mercy rule into effect, drawing the game to a close in the fifth inning with a final score of 20-0. Bedford made things more competitive in the 2 p.m. game. The contest still ended in five innings, but the score was 17-7.

The Charlotte County 13U All-Star squad will play in the Dixie Boys Jr. World Series in Bossier City, Louisiana, starting Aug. 4 at 1 p.m. against Spring Hill, Florida.

Titus Mohler  is the sports editor for The Charlotte Gazette and Farmville Newsmedia, LLC. His email address is Titus.Mohler@TheCharlotteGazette.com.