Selma 12-year-old LaDarius Woods may be a polite kid away from a baseball diamond, but on it, he’s a record breaker.

Woods has already hit a total of four home runs over the 300-foot fence, shattering the previous record of only one hit by a player 12 and under.

“It feels great,” Woods said. “This was the first year I hit a home run, so it feels really good.”

Woods, who plays for Greg Tillman State Farm in the 11-12 Dixie Youth League at the Selma Softball Complex, used his arm and his bat to help his team win the regular season and advance in the play-offs Monday said the success his team has was much more rewarding than the home runs themselves.

“They help my team win,” he said. “That is the best thing about it all. I have all the balls and stuff, but I like winning.”

Parks and Recreation Department director Elton Reece said Woods could have the most power out of any player at 12 in a long time.

“For that age, it’s very impressive,” Reece said. “He has a lot of just raw power and he hits it as far as anyone I have seen for a 12-year old.”

Reece said the achievement is a good start for a young player like Woods.
“He plays shortstop and pitcher. You combine that with power and you get the makeup of a lot of players who get drafted,” Reece said. “He’s got a good temperament about him too, so he doesn’t get frustrated.”

The future, though, is still along way away, but Woods doesn’t care. He just wants to win.

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