Ascension Little League gets police escort to Waco for Regional Tournament

ASCENSION PARISH, La. (WAFB) - Next stop Waco, Texas for the Ascension Little League Baseball team! Coaches, players, and some parents embarked on the seven-hour drive to Texas this morning. The caravan was led out of town by police and the team received an escort for the duration of the trip.

“We’re excited, I know the boys are excited, it’s what they’ve been working for,” said Chris Shexnaydre, the father of a player on the team and the head coach of the Dutchtown Baseball team.

Ascension Parish is just one step away from reaching the Little League World Series. The final obstacle to Williamsport is winning the Southwest Regional tournament in Waco. Team parents are looking forward to the boys showcasing all of their hard work.

“It’s a lot of practices, discipline, hard work. It’s the work they put in an the coaches are excellent with the kids,” said Nakia Smith, the mother of a player on the team. “I think that’s what they drive off of and that’s their leadway to get where they need to be. This is a great group of kids we have, it really is.”

Ascension Parish won the state title two weeks ago against Eastbank and now has a chance to compete on the biggest stage in Little League Baseball. What’s crazy is that this program only started three years ago and is ahead of schedule.

The typical timeline to make a run at a berth in Pennsylvania is five years after the beginning of a new organization within the Little League system, according to Trent Templet, the team’s manager.

Despite the novelty, Ascension Parish travels to the Lone Star State with plenty of self-confidence.

“We think, no, we know we can get the job done. We’ll bring it back. Williamsport here we come,” said Smith.

Ascension Parish begins regional play against New Mexico on Thursday. Catch the game on the Longhorn Network at 4 p.m. and stay tuned to wafb.com and the 9News App for more.

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