BG East 11-12 year-old all stars gear up for 2026 state tournament

 BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – BG East’s 11 and 12 year-old all-stars recently claimed a district championship, but now an even bigger challenge is just beginning.

After last year’s heartbreaking loss in the state championship game, this squad is ready for another shot at a state title.

“For us to go from where we were last year – part of these kids as an 11-year-old team not getting out of district, a couple of them on last year’s 12-year-old team – to go from that and to be able to be one unified team that believe that we could do this is something special,” head coach Chris Brown said.

There’s just two returners from last season’s 11-12-year-old team, but they learned a lot of lessons from their deep run in the state tournament that they still carry with them this year.

“Stay confident. Not everything’s gonna go your way,” shortstop Hudson Phillips said. “So when you face adversity, you have to know how to face it and be able to bounce back.”

“It’s not just about you, it’s about your whole entire team,” center fielder Jack Brown said.

BG East outscored opponents 43-5 across four games in the 2026 district tournament, crediting their poise and demeanor that made them stand out.

Now that they’ve made it to state, coach says this group’s hunger has only grown to bring back an even bigger title.

“They don’t like it when we don’t practice,” Brown said. “They want to be here. They want to be as ready as possible. Just that fire, as coaches, it brings out the best in us – seeing what they’re able to accomplish and what they want. They’re hungry and want more and more”

While some players on the team got a taste of state last year, others did not even get to experience it, and the chance to compete for a state championship is an opportunity this group does not take for granted.

“It would be really special to me because you have almost 215 to 300 kids that don’t have this opportunity to do this in this league, and I think it’s just a very special thing that me and this whole team have been working so hard for,” catcher/pitcher Reid Geringswald said.

BG East opens play at state on Saturday, July 17, in Grayson, Kentucky.