Rowan Little League 10U softball team.

 

Rowan Little League 12U softball team.

Staff report

SALISBURY — The Rowan Little League 12U softball team left on Friday and starts play in the Southeast Regional in Warner Robins, Ga., on Sunday.

Rowan won three games and finished as runner-up in the recent state tournament. State champ Pitt County beat Rowan early in the tournament and qualified directly for the World Series as the North Carolina host team, but Rowan 12U (players can have a league age of 10, 11 or 12) is still alive and returns to action in the regional.

Winning the Southeast Regional was the road that Rowan’s World Champs of 2015 and 2019 had to travel. The World Series was played in Oregon in those days, but a venue change for the main event to Greenville, N.C., was announced in 2020.

The regional is a big stage as the winner will qualify for the World Series, joining international teams, regional champs from across the country and Pitt County.

Teams in the Southeast Regional are Rowan, Lake Mary, Fla., Harris County, Ga., Taylors, SC,  Clarksville, Tenn., McLean, Va., and Huntington, WV.

Rowan is scheduled to open the double-elimination regional tournament against Georgia at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.

The 12U team includes Evee Baxter, Harper Deal, Megan Linebarger, Mak Melchor, Peyton Mulkey, Mary Kate Okula, Ashlynn Pfister, Leniyah Ratcliffe, Khloe Ratliff, Tenley Shell, Jaycee Small, Bristol Smith and Emory Stewart.

Brett Mulkey is the manager. Coaches are Jac Mulkey and Jeff Bernhardt.

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Two more Rowan Little League teams won state championships and are continuing to compete, although there’s no official Little League regional championship for their age groups and no World Series for them to shoot for.

The Rowan 10U girls (players can have a league age of 8, 9 or 10) and the Rowan 11U girls (league age is 9, 10 or 11) will be playing in the Tournament of State Champions hosted by Clarksville, Tenn.

The Tournament of State Champions are considered “Special Games” by the Little League organization, which does not help with expenses. Still, winning this tournament will be the unofficial equivalent of winning a  regional championship. State champions are invited to participate in the TOSC  by the host league.

Opening ceremonies are scheduled for July 25, with games starting on July 26.

Rowan 11U is a first-year team. Players are Kallie Clawson, Graci Cooper, Zoey Correll, Jaklyn Cottone, Kiersten Johnson, Rebecca Lombard, Abby Miller, Audrey Rogers, Jenna Smith, Stella Drew Smith, Jade Webb and Lauren Yates.

The manager is Clint Johnson. Coaches are Jon Cooper, Michelle Guida and Mark Cottone.

Rowan 10U includes Callie Barrier, Peyton Brown, Harper Evernham, Karsynn Karriker, Analyn Kluttz, Paisley Lanning, Nelson Leonard, Kinsley Linton, Jaylee Nixon, Lily Poole, Emerson Raper and Illa Sechler.

The manager is Ashley Poole. Coaches are Joe Nixon and Scott Evernham.