10-11 State Little League Baseball Tourney Underway in Toccoa

Some of the top 10 and 11-year-old Little League baseball teams in the state are in Toccoa this week.

Toccoa Little League is hosting the Georgia 10 and 11-year-old state baseball tournament at the Doyle Street Park.

Games started Saturday.

The tournament banquet was Friday at Stephens County High School.

Speaking at the banquet was University of Georgia Head Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin.

He said that at the age of 10 and 11 is when he realized he wanted to spend his life in the game of baseball.

“Like most of you guys, I played other sports,” said Stricklin. “I played football, I played basketball, I played baseball, whatever season it was, that was my favorite sport. When I got to be 11 and 12 years old is when it really hit me that baseball was going to be my sport … and what I wanted to do with my life and it was because of Little League baseball.”

Stricklin also said that the game of baseball will teach a lot about life, including how to handle adversity.

“Your moms and dads and grandparents can all tell you about some of the tough times that you are going to go through,” said Stricklin. “You are going to have a lot of 0 for 4’s in your life, you are going to have days on the mound where you give up a lot of runs and make a lot of errors. There is another game tomorrow and you have to pick yourself up and play tomorrow. That is what you have to do in life. You have to pick yourself up and move on.”

Stricklin told the players to always give 100 percent and play the game with enthusiasm.

Hart County is representing District 7 in the tournament.

In its first game, Hart County beat West Point 12-2 on Saturday. Hart lost to Cartersville on Sunday, 8-7.

Hart plays Vine Ingle today at 3:30 p.m.

Other teams in the tournament include Northern Little League, Smyrna Little League, Belvedere Little League, and Oconee County Little League.