Cartersville Little League 12U claims 2025 state championship

July 17, 2025

Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com

Cartersville Little League 12U won the 2025 State Championship Thursday night with a 5-2 victory over Warner Robins-American. Cartersville advances to the eight-team Southeast Region Tournament in Warner Robins beginning July 31. Team members: Hayes Burris, Messiah Carter, Grayson Dean, Sawyer Ezell, Gavin Ham, Carter Harris, Emory Harris, Micah Mitcham, Connor Murphy, Harris Pressley, Hayden Stewart, and Sawyer White.

Cartersville Little League 12U baseball defeated Warner Robins-American 5-2 on Thursday night at Vine-Ingle Little League in Macon to secure the 2025 Georgia State Championship.

Cartersville 12U finished with a perfect 4-0 mark in the double-elimination state tournament and will now represent Georgia at the Southeast Region Tournament in Warner Robins that begins on Thursday, July 31, and features the state champions from seven other states.

Harris Pressley was impressive on the mound for Cartersville and tossed all six innings, needing only 78 pitches. He scattered seven hits and one walk while striking out six.

The Cartersville offense posted four runs in the top of the second inning to grab an early 4-0 advantage. A double by Sawyer Ezell opened the frame, and Messiah Carter reached on an error. Sawyer White promptly tripled home both base runners for a 2-0 lead. Connor Murphy drove in White with an RBI single, and two outs later scored on Gavin Ham’s base hit to make the score 4-0.

Hayden Stewart opened the top of the third inning with a double and put Cartersville up 5-0 when he scored on a groundout by Pressley.

Warner Robins-American got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning with a leadoff double and an RBI single. A second run in the frame was thwarted when Ham threw out a runner at the plate from his right field position. Cartersville catcher White applied the tag to end the inning.

Another leadoff double and an ensuing RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning scored the second Warner Robins’ run. Pressley ended that inning with a strikeout.

Murphy led the Cartersville 12U offense with two hits and one RBI. Hayes Burris, White (two RBi), Stewart, Ezell, and Ham (RBI) added one hit.

In addition to Thursday night’s win, Cartersville had state tournament victories over Martinez-Evans (15-0), Smyrna (5-1), and an earlier win over Warner Robins-American (4-1).

This season marked the 31st trip to the state tournament for Cartersville Little League's 12U team as District 1 champions, dating back to the league's inception in 1954. It also marks the first state title for the program and the first championship for a Northwest Georgia team since Rome National Little League's title in 1953.

When the Southeast Region Tournament begins in Warner Robins on July 31, Cartersville 12U will open the double-elimination bracket against the South Carolina state champion at 4 p.m. Other opening round games include Florida against Tennessee at 10 a.m., North Carolina vs. West Virginia at 1 p.m., and Virginia facing Alabama at 7 p.m. 

The tournament will continue through Tuesday, August 5, with the winner advancing to the Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. All games at the Southeast Region will be covered live on ESPN+.