JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 10-year-old boy from Jacksonville was selected to play in a national baseball tournament in central Florida.
LaShun Highsmith Jr., or LJ, is a stud on the diamond at third base, in the outfield, on the mound and behind the plate. He’s about to show that talent to the country.
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“I get to go out of town and get to do all of these fun things. Plus, I get to play the sport that I love,” LJ said.
He was selected to play in the USSSA All-American games. It is a national organization that allows kids his age and even into their early teenage years to showcase their skills on the diamond.
There’s a lot of competition from all over the country. LJ traveled to Kentucky to try out. Only 200 athletes were chosen to make a regional team based on their talent. He made the cut for the Southeast region. This sport is his passion.
The game has a lot to take to it. It is fun, it is encouraging," LJ said.
His dad and coach, LaShun Highsmith Sr., has been watching his son grow in the sport they have a passion for since LJ was just 2 years old and calls him a hard worker.
“To work with my own son, that is the icing on the cake. The cherry on top,” Highsmith Sr. said. “For him to grasp the game that I love and seeing him grasp at the game, he grasps the capacity of the game and now is starting to accept the future of the game.”
The tournament will be played from July 21 to 27 at the Space Coast Complex in Melbourne.
If LJ makes it to the championship, he will be playing for a title on his 11th birthday. He said just having this opportunity in his life means everything and his dad is so proud.
“It would mean everything because I’ve been playing this sport for a while,” LJ said.
“I just wish to see him grow as a man, see him grow as a young man,” Highsmith Sr. said. “Everything I do is to pretty much get him to where he has been and for him to be able to take it further. Keep striving, son.”
LJ does plenty off the diamond too. He owns his own lawn maintenance company, a juicing and hydration station, and his own clothing line.
He hopes to one day make it to the MLB as well as becoming a veterinarian.
LJ and his family are raising money to cover travel and equipment expenses. For more information on how you can help, email stlnbasekings@gmail.com.
