BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — The East Boynton Beach Little League All-Stars are competing to become state champions.
The team and seven others from across the state are in Melbourne this weekend for a chance to be crowned the best Little League team in Florida.
WATCH BELOW: East Boynton Beach Little League competes for state crown
It's an exciting trip for a team to go against the best teams in the state.
"We've been coaching these kids, most of them for four, five years," Coach Mario Marchione. "To see the hard work, this is a hard-working group of kids. It's fun to watch them get this opportunity."
Marchione has watched them grow and get better for years, which resulted in the boys taking home the 2024 state title in the 9-11 age bracket.
"They've been playing together at East Boynton since they were 7 or 8 years old," Marchione said. "They knew they wanted to play baseball. That's what they want to do."
The team finds itself in a familiar position competing at a high level.
"I think at 9U we lost in districts, and then 10U we won districts and lost in sectionals," Marchione said. "11U we won states, and now [we are competing] 12U. ... It's a step by step process, and I think that the good thing. They're seeing that the hard work pays off."
That hard work could take this special group all the way to the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. But first, they will seek to become the best Little League team in Florida.
East Boynton Beach's first game of the Florida state Little League tournament is Friday at 4 p.m. against Bayshore (Tampa).
The state title game will be held Sunday with the winner representing Florida in the Southeast regional tournament July 31-Aug. 5 in Warner Robbins, Georgia.
The Little League World Series begins Aug. 13.
