DALLAS – The Connie Mack World Series will have a distinctly strong presence of teams from the state of Texas as Performance Baseball Texas 18U, out of Kilgore, advances to the CMWS via the AABC Texas qualifier which wrapped up over the weekend.
Performance Baseball wrapped up an unbeaten run after six games in the Texas qualifier, which included a dramatic 7-6 win in the semifinal round over Dulins Dodgers 17U squad and as well as a 13-5 rout over the Oklahoma Express.
The addition of Performance Baseball adds to an already strong contingent of teams from the Lone Star State. A trio of teams from the Dulins Dodgers organization will take part in the World Series, as well as the TEST Black squad and the Marlins Baseball 18U club, both of whom advanced to the CMWS after winning respective qualifiying tournaments.
With only a pair of qualifying tournaments remaining on the schedule, the possibility of another Texas-based team reaching the CMWS does exist. The final qualifying tournament, which opens next week in Norman, Oklahoma, features more than 24 teams, with half of those teams hailing from Texas.
Performance Baseball is led by several key performers, including recent Spring Hill High graduate Mason Barnes. A commit to Seminole State College, Barnes scored three runs and drove in a pair with a home run during the 13-5 win over the Express in the Texas qualifier. Barnes also had a big effort on the hill, throwing six shuout innings in a win over the Texas Angels.
Travis Allen, also from Spring Hill High, drove in three runs in that same game, then came back with a 3-for-4 performance in a 5-2 win over the Angels.
Grant Adcock, a recent commit to Arkansas State University-Mountain Home, pitched a gem earlier in the Texas qualifiying tournament, striking out five over six shutout innings over the locally-based FC Rage 18U team.
The Connie Mack World Series will open Friday, June 24 at Ricketts Park.