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July 12, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Cartersville Little League 10U and 11U baseball teams both won their first two games in the Georgia Little League state tournament this past weekend. In other age divisions, Bartow County Little League 14U slipped to the elimination bracket, and Bartow County Little League 16U was eliminated Cartersville Little League 10U starts strong at state tourney Cartersville Little League 10U went 2-0 in the first two games of the eight-team, double-elimination state tournament on Saturday and Sunday in Athens. Cartersville 10U defeated Hart County 10-6 on Saturday and blanked Peachtree City on Sunday, 11-0. With the victories, Cartersville 10U advanced to play Sunday’s Columbus-American vs. Martinez Evans winner on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. and secured a top-three finish. Tuesday night’s winner will advance to the championship round with no losses. Cartersville 10U utilized four pitchers in their opening win, including Brantley Tilley (two strikeouts), Beckett Philliber, Wyatt Clayton, and Lucas Penland. Clayton and Penland combined for a shutout in the win over Peachtree City. Clayton recorded five strikeouts in 4-2/3 innings across the first two tournament games. Penland had three strikeouts in 3-1/3 innings. Clayton paced the Cartersville 10U offense in the first two state tournament games with five hits and three RBI. Jack Burris contributed four hits, including one double and two RBI. Lincoln Ezell (four RBI), Penland (three RBI), and Philliber had two hits. Tilley (triple, three RBI), Marshall Pressley (RBI), Jett Nichols (RBI), Bode Mathis (double), and Lambo Geldhauser each added one hit. Cartersville Little League 11U opens state tourney with two wins Cartersville Little League 11U blanked Franklin County 12-0 and edged Columbus-Northern 3-2 in walk-off fashion on Saturday and Sunday in the first two rounds of the seven-team, double-elimination state tournament in Toccoa. Cartersville 11U advanced to face Peachtree City 11U on Tuesday night at 6 p.m., with the winner advancing to Thursday’s championship round without a loss. Tuesday night’s loser will slip to an elimination game on Wednesday night. Pitchers Camaro Geldhauser and Brayden Taylor combined for a two-hit, shutout against Franklin County. Geldhauser fanned nine. Wheeler Arthur (1 IP, 2K), Tripp Walker (1.2 IP, 1K), Will Porter (3 IP, 4K), and Fin Rogan (0.1 IP) shared pitching duties in the win over Columbus-Northern. Jaxon Martin had three hits, including one double, for Cartersville 11U in the first two games of the state tournament. Geldhauser (three RBI) and Porter (double, two RBI) each contributed two hits. Walker (double, three RBI), Caleb Cox (double, three RBI), Arthur (RBI), Will Moore, and Jonah Holder each added one hit. Rogan and Taylor each produced one RBI. Bartow County Little League 14U falls in state tourney opener Bartow County Little League 14U led Hart County 4-0 in the middle of the fifth inning on Saturday afternoon in the first round of the state tournament, but Hart rallied for three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to edge Bartow, 5-4. The loss dropped Bartow 14U to an elimination game on Monday night against East Marietta. Sam Wallin (4.2 IP, 2R, 1ER, 1H, 2BB, 9K) suffered the pitching loss for Bartow despite a strong start. Knox Gunter (1.1 IP, 1R, 0ER, 0H, 5K) and Tyler Moon (0.0 IP, 2ER, 1H, 1BB) pitched in relief. Wallin (double, two RBI), Logan Johnson (double, RBI), and Gunter had Bartow’s only base hits. The seven-team, double-elimination state tournament for Junior League baseball continues at Vine Ingle Little League in Macon through Thursday night. Bartow County 16U drops two of three at Georgia Senior Little League state tourney Host Bartow County 16U won its first-round game at the state tournament against Oconee County on Saturday, but was eliminated Saturday night and Sunday after losses to Hart County and Athens at Manning Mill Park. Bartow 16U defeated Oconee County 25-19, lost 9-4 to Hart County, and fell 12-11 to Athens. In three state tournament games for Bartow 16U, Tyler Parker had five hits, including three homers, one double, and seven RBI. Nicholas Robinson also had five hits, including one double and six RBI. Jackson Watts (double, sac fly, four RBI) and Landon Farmer (double) contributed four hits. Kasey Jacobs had three hits, including one homer and four RBI. Noah Rogers (triple, two RBI), Hunter Dudley (triple, RBI), and Wyatt Garlin (RBI) produced two hits. Matthew Zander (home run, two RBI) and Reed Davis each added one hit. Jace Radford had one RBI. Dudley had two strikeouts in six innings of pitching. Zander struck out six in three frames, Watts fanned three in 3-1/3 innings, and Robinson struck out two in 3-2/3 innings.

July 12, 2026 Staff reports / BartowSportsZone.com The Cartersville Twisters Gym boys Level 4 team capped a strong season by repeating as Georgia Level 4 Team State Champions, successfully defending the title they won a year ago. The championship squad of Rainey Cope, Channing Englert, Kit Leighly, and Nolan Menerey earned back-to-back state crowns under coaches Sasha Stetsenko and Andrei Kouznetsov, continuing the Twisters' tradition as one of Georgia's premier youth gymnastics programs. The Twisters' success extended beyond the team competition. At the Georgia Level 4 State Championships, Englert, Leighly, and Menerey swept the top three spots in the all-around standings, finishing as the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 Level 4 gymnasts in the state. Englert also enjoyed success beyond the state level, tying for second place in the all-around among all Level 4 competitors in the Southeast Region. The program's depth was further recognized when Gabe Moody joined Leighly and Englert in qualifying for the Georgia State Elite Camp, an honor reserved for many of the state's top young gymnasts and an opportunity to train alongside Georgia's best emerging talent. The Twisters wrapped up their season by competing in a Team Finals event featuring many of the top teams from across the Southeast. Although the meet was separate from the official state and regional championship competitions, Cartersville finished second overall behind Alabama in a spirited season-ending showcase. With a second consecutive state championship, multiple individual state leaders, regional recognition, and three gymnasts earning invitations to the State Elite Camp, the Cartersville Twisters Boys Level 4 team completed one of the program's most successful seasons in recent memory.

July 11, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Cartersville Little League 13U went 1-2 at the three-team Georgia Little League Intermediate State Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Peachtree City to finish runner-up to host Peachtree City. Cartersville 13U dropped its tournament opener to Peachtree City 16-6 on Friday, defeated Vine Ingle on Saturday 12-10, and lost to Peachtree City in the championship round 20-7. Emory Harris led the Cartersville 13U offense during the tournament with seven hits, including two doubles and three RBI. Sa’vion Hamilton followed with six hits, including two doubles and two RBI. Grayson Dean had five hits, including one home run, one double, and two RBI. Jimmy Fair produced three hits. Jack Turner (three RBI), Jordan Cooley (two RBI), Carter Harris (two RBI), and Gavin Ham (triple, RBI) each contributed two hits. Aiden Solomon (double, RBI) and Link Crump each added one hit. Ham (4-1/3 innings) and Turner (3-1/3 innings) each recorded five strikeouts in their pitching outings for Cartersville 13U during the tournament. Hamilton pitched three innings, and Aiden Solomon had four strikeouts in 2-2/3 innings of work on the mound.

July 11, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Bartow County Little League’s 12U softball team finished as state runner-up on Saturday, and the Bartow County 10U team was eliminated on Friday afternoon at their respective Georgia Little League State tournaments in Warner Robins. Bartow 12U finished 2-2 in the double-elimination tournament with both losses coming to Warner Robins American — the 2026 state champions. Bartow 12U had tournament wins over Columbus-American (11-1) in the first round and over Oconee County, 4-3, in an elimination game this past Friday. Both losses to Warner Robins American (4-3 and 4-2) were narrow defeats. Remington Sewell pitched all six innings for Bartow 12U in their elimination game victory over Oconee County. She struck out eleven and allowed three earned runs on three hits and two walks to collect the win. Bartow 12U trailed 3-1, but struck for three runs in the top of the sixth inning to secure the win. Aubree Huskins (RBI), Jacie Duke, and Kaley Nichols had hits for the locals. Sewell contributed one RBI. In the championship round on Saturday, Bartow 12U led 2-1 before Warner Robins American scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to escape with the 4-2 victory. Sewell pitched all five innings for Bartow 12U in the finals. She fanned two, yielding three earned runs on two hits and four walks. Nichols (RBI), Duke (double), and Payton Tidwell each had two hits for Bartow 12U on Saturday. Abbie Robinson added one hit, and Whitley Aldredge contributed one RBI. Bartow 10U finished 1-2 at its state tournament and was eliminated by Elbert County on Friday, 5-4. Bartow 10U rallied for four runs in the fifth inning to tie the game at 4-4, but Elbert County pushed across the game-winning run in the bottom of the inning. Addy Jo Reynolds struck out seven, allowing five earned runs on five hits and seven walks for Bartow 10U. Paris Taylor had two hits. Charleigh Aviles, Kya Phillips, and Reynolds each had one hit and one RBI. Ella Kate Graham added one RBI.

July 8, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Bartow County Little League 10U softball team picked up a crucial elimination-game victory Wednesday night at the Georgia Little League Softball State Tournament, while the 12U squad suffered a tough walk-off loss. Bartow 10U defeated West Point 13-5 in five innings to stay alive in the losers’ bracket. Bartow 12U dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker to host Warner Robins American and slid into the loser’s bracket. BARTOW 10U COLLECTS STATE TOURNEY VICTORY West Point jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning and led 2-1 through two. Bartow’s offense then erupted, scoring six runs in the third inning and three more in the fourth to build a commanding 10-2 advantage. West Point closed the gap to 10-5 in the top of the fifth, but Bartow answered with three runs in the bottom half to end the game via the run-rule. Addy Jo Reynolds earned the pitching victory, striking out eight batters. Averie Farmer paced the offense with two hits and two RBI. Reynolds added one hit and one RBI, while Kendall Haygood chipped in one hit. Kimsey Tow, Rowan Pittman, Kya Phillips, Maria Reyes, and Layla Brown each drove in one run. The win sends Bartow 10U into another elimination contest on Thursday night at 6 p.m. against Elbert County 10U. Bartow will need to win four straight elimination games to claim the state title. The tournament continues through Friday night, with an “if needed" game scheduled for Saturday morning. BARTOW 12U SUFFERS STATE TOURNEY LOSS Bartow 12U held a 2-1 lead through two innings and fought back to tie the score at 3-3 in the fourth. However, Warner Robins American rallied in the bottom of the sixth, using a walk and two singles with one out to secure a 4-3 walk-off victory. Remington Sewell started in the circle and pitched five strong innings (3R, 0ER, 3H, 2BB, 6K). Aubree Huskins took the loss in relief (0.1 IP, 1ER, 1H, 1BB). Offensively, Abbie Robinson led with two hits. Sewell, Payton Tidwell, Whitley Aldredge, and River Bunch each recorded one hit, while Lily Wilson drove in one run. The loss puts Bartow 12U into an elimination game on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. against either Columbus-American or Oconee County. The survivor of that matchup will need two victories over Warner Robins American in the final round to win the state championship. The championship round begins Friday night at 8 p.m., with a possible second game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

July 8, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Brooks Urquhart of Columbus fired rounds of 65-69-68 to post 14-under par and win the 61st Georgia State Golf Association Junior Championship by four shots at Coosa Country Club. The rising high school senior from Green Island Country Club topped the 54-hole event, played July 6-8 on the 6,941-yard, par-72 layout, finishing well clear of fellow rising seniors Bear Dollander of Savannah and Nicholas Canitano of Milton. Local players made strong showings throughout the week. Bodie Brumlow, a rising senior at Cartersville High School, held the 36-hole lead after opening with 66-67. A final-round 74 dropped him to 9-under par and fourth place overall. Reid Henson of Rydal, a rising junior at Cartersville High School, posted rounds of 73-69-69 to finish at 5-under par and tie for seventh. Patrick Lewis, a rising senior from Jasper and a member of the Cartersville Country Club, carded 71-72-71 for 2-under par and a tie for 10th. Bryer Cole, a rising junior from Marietta and also a Cartersville Country Club member, finished at 4-over par with scores of 72-75-73 to tie for 32nd. Recent Adairsville High School graduate Jackson Taylor missed the 36-hole cut after rounds of 73-78 (7-over par). A total of 144 players, age 18 and below who have not started college, qualified for the 2026 State Junior Championship, with the field cut to the low 60 players and ties after two rounds.

July 8, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Bartow County Little League softball teams had mixed results in the opening round of their Georgia Little League State Tournament games on Monday night in Warner Robins. Bartow 12U beat Columbus-American Little League 11-1, but Bartow 10U suffered a 14-0 loss and was no-hit by Elbert County Little League pitching. Bartow 12U trailed 1-0 early against Columbus-American, but scored three times in the bottom of the second to take a 3-1 lead before adding eight more runs in the bottom of the fourth for a run-rule, walk-off victory. Bartow 12U’s Aubree Huskins scattered three hits, one walk, and one hit batter over four innings to earn the pitching win. She struck out eight, and the only Columbus-American run was unearned. Meanwhile, the Bartow 12U offense capitalized on three walks and eight errors by Columbus-American with some timely hitting. Six Bartow 12U players each contributed one hit, including Remington Sewell (triple, two RBI), Annie Cochran (double, two RBI), Kaley Nichols (double, RBI), Payton Tidwell, Jacie Duke, and Abbie Robinson. Sydney Sabens and River Bunch were each credited with one RBI. Bartow 12U faces Warner Robins American Little League on Wednesday night at 6 p.m., with the winner advancing to the championship round on Friday undefeated in the double-elimination tournament. The Warner Robins/Bartow loser must play an elimination game on Thursday night against either Columbus-American or Oconee County. The Bartow 10U team faces West Point Little League on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. in an elimination game. The winner of the Bartow 10U/West Point game will face the survivor of the Oconee County/Elbert County match on Thursday at 6 p.m. in another elimination game. Entering Wednesday night, Harris County 10U and Warner Robins American 10U remained undefeated. The championship rounds for both softball state tournaments are set to begin Friday night in Warner Robins. If either final needs a second game, it will be played on Saturday.

July 6, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Two local Little League softball teams and five Little League baseball teams are preparing for the Georgia Little League State Tournaments that begin Monday, July 6, at various locations. Georgia Little League Softball and Baseball State Tournament Schedules 10U Softball Site: Warner Robins American Little League 6-team, double-elimination tournament continues through Saturday, July 11 First game for local team: Bartow County vs. Elbert County, 8 p.m. on July 6 12U Softball Site: Warner Robins American Little League 5-team, double-elimination tournament continues through Saturday, July 11 First game for local team: Bartow County vs. Columbus-American at 8 p.m. on July 6 5-team, double-elimination 10U Baseball Site: Holland Park, Athens Little League 8-team, double-elimination tournament begins Saturday, July 11 Finals on Thursday, July 16 First game for local team: Cartersville vs. Hart County, 11 a.m. on July 11 11U Baseball Site: Toccoa Little League 7-team, double-elimination tournament begins Saturday, July 11 Finals on Thursday, July 16 First game for local team: Cartersville vs. Franklin County, 1:30 p.m. on July 11 12U baseball Site: Bogart Sports Complex, Oconee County Little League 7-team, double-elimination tournament begins Saturday, July 18 Finals on July 23 Cartersville vs. Franklin County at 11 a.m. on July 18 13U Intermediate Baseball Site: Peachtree City Little League 3-team, double-elimination tournament begins Friday, July 10 Finals on July 11-12 First game for local team: Cartersville vs. Peachtree City at 6 p.m. (Vine Ingle is the third team) 14U Junior Baseball Site: Vine Ingle Little League 7-team, double-elimination tournament begins Saturday, July 11 Finals on July 16 First game for local team: Bartow County v. Hart County at 1 p.m. on July 11.

July 6, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Several local products continue to make their mark across professional baseball, from the major leagues to the minor leagues and the independent ranks. Cartersville High School alumni once again headline the group, with three former Hurricanes currently on MLB or MiLB rosters and two more competing in the Frontier League. Here's a look at how each performed during the past week and where their teams stand as the first half of July winds down ahead of the All-Star break. Left to right: Mason Barnett, Logan Martin, Anthony Seigler, Micah Earwood, and Cohen Wilbanks MLB / MiLB MASON BARNETT — MLB Athletics (5th-year pro; Auburn; Cartersville HS) … made a pair of two-inning appearances, and received no decisions last Friday and Sunday as the Athletics hosted the Miami Marlins. On Friday, in a 12-5 loss, he allowed four earned runs on three hits (two home runs) and two walks with two strikeouts. In Sunday’s 9-8 loss, the right-hander yielded two more home runs and one other hit with no walks and no strikeouts. Barnett is 1-0 with two saves in 11 MLB appearances this season. He has 21 strikeouts in 19-1/3 innings and has a 3.72 ERA. The Athletics, who dropped five of six games last week, began this week in fourth place in the American League West with a 41-49 record. They trail first-place Seattle by 5-1/2 games. The A’s are on the road in the final week before the All-Star break. They have three games at the Detroit Tigers and a weekend series at the Chicago White Sox. LOGAN MARTIN — Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants Double-A affiliate; 4th-year pro; Kentucky; Cartersville HS) … made his second and third rehab appearances last week with the Arizona Complex Rookie-level Giants. He had five strikeouts and one walk in four shutout frames. The 24-year-old right-hander has dealt with an undisclosed injury this season with the Double-A Flying Squirrels and was sent to Arizona on June 27 for rehabilitation. He is 3-0 in 2026 with Richmond in six starts and 12 total appearances covering just over 34 innings. He has 36 strikeouts and a 3.41 ERA. Meanwhile, the Squirrels won the first half of the Eastern League’s Southwest Division to secure a postseason berth. Richmond began the week 50-29 overall, including 7-4 in the second-half standings. ANTHONY SEIGLER — Boston Red Sox (MLB; 9th-year pro; Cartersville HS) … made four starts last week — two at home against the Washington Nationals and two at the Los Angeles Angels. The 27-year-old second baseman was 3-for-16 at the plate, including two doubles, two walks, four runs scored, and one stolen base. Seigler has a .308 batting average in 52 official at-bats this season with Boston, including one home run and three RBI. The Red Sox went 4-2 last week and began this week with a 40-48 record, 12-1/2 games behind the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. Boston plays three games at the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday through Thursday, and plays three at the New York Mets this weekend prior to the All-Star break. INDEPENDENT PRO BASEBALL MICAH EARWOOD — Sussex County Miners (Frontier League; 1st year pro; Southeastern University; Cartersville HS) … made three relief appearances last week with no decisions as the Miners finished a 4-2 week. The right-hand pitcher yielded five earned runs on one hit and three walks on June 30 in a 12-4 home loss to the New York Boulders, but bounced back with two scoreless appearances against the Ottawa Titans last Friday and Sunday. He recorded two strikeouts on Friday during a one-inning stint and a 5-2 loss. Earwood then allowed one hit, but retired two outs in the eighth inning of a 4-2 victory on Sunday. He has 12 strikeouts in 9-2/3 innings with a 7.45 ERA. Sussex County began the week with a 23-25 record and in third place in the Atlantic East Division. The Miners are on the road for games at the Lake Erie Crushers on Tuesday through Thursday and the Evansville Otters this weekend. COHEN WILBANKS — Evansville Otters (Frontier League; 2nd year pro; Georgia Gwinnett College; Cartersville HS) … the Otters’ catcher saw action in two losses last week — an 8-5 loss at the Joliet Slammers and a 23-10 home loss to the Washington Wild Things. Wilbanks was 4-for-8 at the plate, including one double, one walk, three runs scored, and one RBI. For the season, he has a .231 batting average with one home run and six RBI in 66 plate appearances. Evansville went 4-2 last week and began this week with a 31-18 record. The Otters are in second place in the Midwest Central Division, trailing Washington by two games. They play three games at the Gateway Grizzlies on Tuesday through Thursday and host the Sussex County Miners for three games this weekend.

June 29, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com MLB / MiLB MASON BARNETT — MLB Athletics (5th-year pro; Auburn; Cartersville HS) … made three relief appearances for the Athletics last week, seeing action on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. He allowed one earned run on one hit and two walks with no decision, working in the sixth and seventh innings at the San Francisco Giants on June 23. Last Thursday in San Francisco, he earned a one-inning save (his second of the season), allowing no base runners in a scoreless ninth inning with one strikeout. Last Saturday, Barnett retired the final two outs of the eighth inning, but the Athletics fell 5-2 at the Los Angeles Angels. He has now made nine MLB appearances this season, covering 15-1/3 innings. The 25-year-old has 19 strikeouts and a 1.17 ERA. The Athletics began this week with a 40-44 record and will host the Dodgers and the Marlins. LOGAN MARTIN — Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants Double-A affiliate; 4th-year pro; Kentucky; Cartersville HS) … was assigned to the Arizona Complex League Giants last Saturday for a rehab assignment, where he threw one scoreless inning in Mesa against the rookie-level Cubs. Martin is 2-0 in Double-A this season with a 3.99 ERA. Richmond (48-26 overall) won the Eastern League Northeast Division’s first half and entered this week with a 5-1 mark in the second half schedule. Anthony Seigler watches his first career home run clear the Green Monster in the second inning of the Red Sox's 4-1 win over the New York Yankees last Saturday. ANTHONY SEIGLER — Boston Red Sox (MLB; 9th-year pro; Cartersville HS) … was recalled to the MLB Red Sox on June 20 and has made 10-straight starts for Boston, which has gone 7-3 during the stretch. Seigler, playing second base, has gone 12-for-33 (.364) in his return, including three doubles, three walks, six runs scored, three RBI, one stolen base, and hit his first career home run last Saturday at home against the New York Yankees. Boston began this week with a 36-46 record, trailing first-place Tampa Bay by 12-1/2 games in the American League East. The Red Sox host the Washington Nationals to begin the week before a weekend series at the Los Angeles Angels. INDEPENDENT PRO BASEBALL MICAH EARWOOD — Sussex County Miners (Frontier League; 1st year pro; Southeastern University; Cartersville HS) … made three relief appearances last week with no decisions. The right-hand pitcher worked two scoreless innings on June 23 in a 19-1 home loss to the Schaumburg Boomers. Last Friday, he worked a scoreless eighth inning in a 4-3 loss at the Trois-Rivieres Aigles. This past Sunday, Earwood allowed three earned runs on three hits and two walks, but the Miners won 12-10 at Trois-Rivieres. He has now pitched eight innings as a professional and has nine strikeouts with a 3.38 ERA. Sussex County began this week with a 19-24 record and in third place in the Frontier League’s Atlantic East Division. COHEN WILBANKS — Evansville Otters (Frontier League; 2nd year pro; Georgia Gwinnett College; Cartersville HS) … hit his first home run of the season, a grand slam, last Friday as the Otters won 10-7 at the Florence Y’alls. The catcher also went 2-for-5 with a double on Sunday in a 16-9 victory at Florence. For the season, Wilbanks has a .182 batting average in 57 plate appearances with 11 walks and five RBI. Evansville began the week with a 27-16 record and in second place in the Frontier League’s Midwest Central Division.

June 30, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Bodie Brumlow was a co-medalist at the UGA Golf Course qualifier for the USGA Junior Amateur Championship. / Photo: Georgia State Golf Association. Cartersville High rising senior Bodie Brumlow punched his ticket to the U.S.G.A. Junior Amateur Championship on Tuesday by earning co-medalist honors at the University of Georgia Golf Course qualifier. Brumlow, Ves Butler of Athens, and Daichi Hayashi of Malaysia earned medalist honors with 4-under-par 67s on the 7,258-yard par-71 layout. Three other players — Paxton Lane of Arkansas, Brooks Urquhart of Columbus, and Nicholas Canitaro of Milton — each finished 3-under par (68) to also qualify from the 132-player field in Athens. The U.S. Junior Championship will be held next month at Saucon Valley Country Club, near Allentown and Bethlehem in Pennsylvania. Thirty-six holes of stroke play will take place on July 20-21 for 64 spots, followed by four rounds of match play continuing July 22-25.

June 30, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Cartersville Little League 12U won the Georgia District 1 championship on Tuesday night at Hamilton Crossing Park, defeating Bartow County Little League 12U, 3-2. The Cartersville roster includes: Evan Blankenberger, Hudson Bonner, Parker Candela, Sam Evans, Grayson Moss, Nolan Murphy, Owen Stephens, Everett Sutton, Jaxon Tardy, Josh Villarreal, James Williams, and Gray Womack. Manager: Patrick Murphy. Coaches: Bryan Villarreal and Stephen Womack. Cartersville Little League 12U completed an undefeated run through the Georgia District 1 Tournament on Tuesday night at Hamilton Crossing Park, defeating Bartow County Little League 12U 3-2 in the championship round. Cartersville, which went 3-0 in the tournament, also beat Cedartown (15-0) and Bartow County (13-3) to reach the championship round. Bartow eliminated Cedartown on Monday night, 18-0. Cartersville 12U took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on Tuesday, but Bartow 12U battled back to tie the game 2-2 with single runs in the fourth and sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, Cartersville’s Jaxon Tardy reached on a one-out single and, following a strikeout, stole second base. An error on the play allowed Tardy to score for a walk-off 3-2 victory and the District 1 title. Josh Villarreal picked up the pitching win for Cartersville 12U by recording five strikeouts over the final 2-2/3 innings. Tardy made the pitching start, allowing one unearned run in the first 3-1/3 innings. Tardy walked five and fanned five. Gatlin Townsend suffered the pitching loss for Bartow 12U, allowing one unearned run in the fifth and sixth innings on one hit and one walk. He struck out two. Luke Holden made the pitching start for Bartow, allowing two unearned runs on four hits and three walks. Holden fanned six in his 4-2/3 innings of work on the mound. Tardy led the Cartersville 12U offense with two hits and one RBI. James Williams (RBI), Gray Womack, and Villarreal added one hit each. Kellan Rpgers (RBI), Camden Forsyth (RBI), and McClain Cook had base hits for Bartow 12U. Cartersville 12U, the defending state champions, advanced to the 2026 Georgia Little League State Tournament for the fourth straight year. The state tournament will begin on Saturday, July 18, in Watkinsville.