A sizzling series starts tonight when Brookhaven’s AmericanLeague All-Stars meet the McComb All-Stars at Edgewood Field at 7p.m.. It’s Game One of the best-of-three Dixie Youth Baseball MajorLeague District Six showdown.

Game Two is set for Friday night at Keystone Park, also startingat 7.

McComb breezed through the South Subdistrict Six Tournament atGloster, beating Pine Hills 11-1 in the championship game. Bycomparison, Brookhaven’s Americans won the North Subdistrict thehard way, battling back through the losers’ bracket after fallingto the Brookhaven Nationals 9-7 last Friday.

The Americans rebounded and whipped Copiah County 14-3 Saturday.They drew a Sunday bye and watched pretournament favorite Natchezeliminate the Nationals 6-3 on Sunday afternoon. The Americansedged Natchez 5-4 in 10 innings Monday night, forcing another game.On Tuesday night they nipped Natchez 3-2 for the subdistricttitle.

“Us having a bye for the seventh game,” said BrookhavenAmericans manager/head coach Ronnie Keene. “When we got beat by theNationals, that gave us a break.”

Keene, assisted by Ricky Case and Scott Burke, said he had anexceptional team. “I like coaching these kids. We don’t have thesuperstars but we have gritty baseball players who play hard andwin games. They have good attitudes and good parents.

“I haven’t heard one cross word from a parent,” Keene continued.”Every body works together.”

Asked about a scouting report on the McComb all-stars, Keenesaid, “I’ve head McComb is a good defensive club. Their pitcher,(Revis) Butler, throws the ball hard.”

Keene said he spent Wednesday night pitching to his team duringpractice. “We took batting practice until 10 o’clock last night.I’m 40 years old but I still throw pretty hard.”

Keene said his team was looking forward to the series. McCombwon the district title and the state tournament last year,advancing to the World Series.

“We are chomping at the bit,” said Keene. “McComb is expected tobeat us because they have a powerhouse every year. Whoever wins,I’m still proud of my team.”

Keene said he plans to keep everything in order, going with thesame lineup. “Most of my kids are evenly matched. I like tosubstitute as much as I can.”

American League team members are Hunter Fauver, Aaron Durr,Samuel Ballard, Cody Beeson, Cade McCullough, Travis Sorrells,Dewey Stailey, Joel Patrick, Dustin Treadway, Grant Burke,Christian (Bubba) Keene, Travis Keene and Tyler Case.

In the decisive win over Natchez, Case pitched the victory.Homers were provided by Dustin Treadway and Travis Keene.

McComb is under the direction of Mark Swindle, the women’sbasketball coach at Southwest Mississippi Community College.

Wednesday night, Butler scatted 3 hits and struck out 11 inMcComb’s title win over Pine Hills.

One of McComb’s leading hitters is Jake Martin who doubled andhomered against Pine Hills. Maquis Lewis tripled and Nathan Taylordoubled.