CLEVELAND-The Red River Credit Union/TABA Texarkana Razorbacks will be recognized for winning the American Legion World Series at the Major League Baseball World Series next week in Cleveland.
Originally Texarkana was told they wouldn't be attending for their accomplishment during the fall classic, but after the team had returned home and brought back Arkansas' first Legion Baseball National Title, state commissioners started working the phones and made it happen.
"I always knew one part of it was being able to go the World Series and be recognized there," Razorback manager Dane Peavy said. "Whenever we won, that was one of my first questions. They told me initially that we weren't going to get to go; that they had pulled the funding for it. I was happy at the time, so it wasn't as big a deal in the moment."
Peavy spoke with the American Legion state commissioners of Arkansas, including Jeral Howard, who pushed for the American Legion to send the team to the MLB World Series.
"They called in some favors and pulled some strings, and it actually got it done," Peavy said. "It just keeps getting better and better."
Texarkana went 42-5 last summer but were on the verge of elimination more than once. After coming back to double-dip a team for the state championship from the loser's bracket, the Razorbacks lost their opener in the Mid-South Regional tournament. The team won four straight elimination games to reach the championship and advanced on a head-to-head tie-breaker after rain forced the final to be canceled.
At the World Series the Hogs lost their first pool game and another loss would've ended their year. Again they fought back and won four in a row to take the championship with an 8-6 come-from-behind over practically a home team-Rowan County, just 82 miles from Shelby, N.C., the site of the World Series.
"I was talking with some of the coaches the other day, recollecting the summer," Peavy said. "And we think it doesn't get any better, and then it does. Not only can we live the dream and enjoy the victory and everything like that, but the kids are still on Cloud 9. I still get texts almost daily from one of the guys about what happened; it's still got a shock factor for many."
The Razorbacks will be attending Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, which begins Tuesday, Oct. 25, and Peavy believes the team will be recognized in front of the home crowd prior to Game 2 on Wednesday. The team will fly out early Tuesday.
The presentation of the Razorbacks won't be broadcast on FOX, but the American Legion will make a video and post it on its website.
Players representing the team will be Nick Myers, Blake Hall, Zac Harrington, Cole Boyd, Austin Cross, Patrick Flanagan, Jay French, Matt Goodheart, Hunter Lewis, Riley Orr, Will Smith, Tanner Vaught and Logan Vidrine.
Beau Burson. Parker Ribble and Austin Stubber, who are quarterbacks of their respective high school teams, will not be in attendance, nor will be pitching/assistant coach Reid Peavy, Dane's younger brother.