It was definitely a bummer last week when the Selma 14U All-Stars finished second in the Dixie Boys Baseball State Tournament.

Finishing second is still a huge accomplishment, but it would have been great to see the team advance to the World Series. No Selma team has advanced that far since 1981.

Well, the team got new life Thursday when it learned they would be competing in the World Series after all. That’s because the Enterprise team that won decided to bow out due to a rule that would have impacted players’ eligibility on their high school team next spring.

Regardless of how they got there, it’s fantastic news for Selma Plus, the Selma team beat Enterprise earlier in the tournament and showed it’s competitive with anyone.

The team members are great ambassadors for the city of Selma and display the kind of unity and teamwork that people need to see representing Selma.

In addition to finishing second at state, the team also won a sportsmanship award for their character.

We wish the team the best as they make arrangements to get to Pineville, Louisiana later this week. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department deserves recognition too for helping the team with transportation and meals.

The experience will be something these young men remember for the rest of their lives.