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Lunenburg County was on the mind of the Virginia House of Delegates Monday morning, as they paid tribute to a specific group of men and boys. The Lunenburg County All-Star baseball team, the group that won the Dixie Youth World Series last fall, was in attendance with their coaches while Del. Tommy Wright introduced a resolution. 

HR 21 commends the team for their hard work and accomplishments throughout the season and post-season. The bill, which passed unanimously in the House, was followed by a round of applause, as every member of the legislative body honored the group. 

James Levine, Jayden Williams, Landon Parker, Reed Hite, Anthony Elliott, Christopher Walker, Blake Overby, Colt Camp, Bryan Long, Vaden Liles and Reed Nowlin made up the Lunenburg County team that first won the District 5 title, then the Virginia State Championship and made their way to Ruston, Louisiana at the end of July 2023, where they competed in the Dixie Youth Baseball World Series. 

They didn’t just compete. For the first time, a Lunenburg County team was the last group standing, as they beat the Louisiana team on July 31 to claim the title. It wasn’t an easy road, as that last week in July drew temperatures of around 100 degrees some days, and that was just in the stands. On the field, it was hotter. But the team fought hard and played through the heat. Over 31 innings, pitchers Reed Nowlin, Vaden Liles, Bryant Long, Blake Overby and Christopher Walker accounted for an impressive 62 strikeouts. They also kept a trend going, as three of the last four Dixie Youth Baseball champions came from Virginia. 

“They outscored all their opponents in the Dixie Youth World Series 61-18 across 7 games and became the first youth baseball team from Lunenburg County to win the tournament,” Wright informed the Assembly as he introduced the group. “The successful season is a tribute to the dedication and hard work of all the team members.” 

He also gave credit to Head Coach Brian Nowlin and everyone else, from family members to members of the Lunenburg community, who helped the team in a number of ways.