Oktibbeha/Winston Little League Team Advances to Southwest Regional

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WCBI) — For the first time in 50 years, history was made in Hattiesburg on Sunday.

The Oktibbeha/Winston Little League All-Stars (based out of Starkville), coached by Slade Fancher, defeated Biloxi 4-2 in the third game of their best of 3 series to advance to the Southwest Regional.

(Chad Altmyer)
The Oktibbeha/Winston Little League All-Stars.

O/W becomes the first team from Northeast Mississippi to advance to a regional in Little League World Series qualifying since Mississippi began Little League play in 1966.

Since 1966, teams from Picayune, D’Iberville, Ocean Springs, Picayune, Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Southaven and Wiggins have all qualified for regional play. The only Mississippi team to advance to Williamsport, Pennsylvania and play in the Little League World Series were the Hub City Little Leaguers from Hattiesburg in 1977 (they finished in fifth place).

O/W will now travel to play in the Southwest Regional qualifier for the 2015 Little League World Series in Waco, Texas. The team will face New Mexico on Friday, August 7th at 8:30pm CT on Longhorn Network (will be watchable online on watchespn.com). If they win, they will face the winner of Arkansas and Texas East on Sunday, August 9th at 8:30pm CT.

All games from the Southwest Regional in Waco, Texas will be played at Marvin Norcross Stadium.

With four more victories, the Oktibbeha/Winston Little Leaguers would become just the second team from the Magnolia State to qualify for the Little League World Series in Williamsport beginning on August 20th.

Members from the Oktibbeha/Winston Little League Team include: Luke Altmyer, Nasir Brown, Riley Dawkins, Aiden Fancher, Randall Futral, Keyshawn Lawrence, Tae Lucious, Harris McReynolds, Will McReynolds, Jackson Owen, Cam Sanders, Briley Wall and Braylon White. The team is coached by Slade Fancher, Keith Lawrence, Tom McReynolds and Sean Owen.

For more information on the 2015 Little League Southwest Regional, visit here: http://www.llbws.org/llbbws/southwest.htm