By DAN BISER

The Columbus County All-Star team through the years has become a frequent participant in the Dixie Pre-Majors (ages 15-16) Baseball World Series and it is returning this season as the North Carolina champion.

The team left today for Thomasville, Ala., where the Pre-Majors World Series is being held for the second time in three years. In 2004, the Columbus All-Stars came away with a third-place finish in the World Series at Thomasville.

Coach T.J. Spivey’s North Carolina champions will take on Marshall, Texas, Saturday at 4 p.m. (CDT) in the opening round of the 12-team, double-elimination tournament. The event will run through Aug. 4.

Columbus County won the North Carolina Pre-Majors title by defeating Chapel Grove in two straight games of a best-of-three series at Gastonia. The team had earlier defeated Duplin County in two straight games of best-of-three series for the Eastern N.C. title.

Team members are Dakota Piver, Donovan Watts, Bryant Edwards, Todd Barnhill, Jonathan Cox, Scott Spivey, Justin Duncan, Pat Worley, Cory Harris, Lloyd Enzor, Timothy Brown, Aaron Lowry, Nathan Long, Truman Vereen, Josh Coleman and Matt Russell.