The Stanly County All Stars won the state championship on Saturday. Courtesy Albemarle Parks and  Recreation

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ALBEMARLE — The county’s local Babe Ruth League 13-16U players are now state champions for the second consecutive year.

This past Saturday afternoon, the Stanly County All Stars won the Western North Carolina Babe Ruth state title again, defeating North Buncombe 25-2 in the championship game at North Buncombe Park in Weaverville.

The Stanly squad, made up of players who have been nominated by coaches representing the Albemarle Parks and Recreation department, outscored its opponents by a margin of 73 runs to four throughout a series of five matchups.

Earlier in the tournament, the All Stars had previously defeated UC Waxhaw 20-0 on Wednesday before taking down Mooresville Youth 12-2 on Thursday. The team then bested North Buncombe 16-0 on Friday and followed that up by defeating UC Waxhaw 22-1 on Saturday morning.

Stanly has now solidified its spot in this week’s eight-team Babe Ruth Southeast Regional Tournament in Fort Myers, Florida, held at the Sam Fleishman Regional Sports Complex from Wednesday morning to Saturday afternoon.

The All Stars are joined by Sarasota, Lynnhaven and San Carlos in the tournament’s National Division; Fort Myers, Melrose, Greenville and Manassas make up the American Division.

“Western NC State Champions! Congrats to our Babe Ruth team on bringing the banner back to Stanly County,” Albemarle Parks and Recreation said in a statement. “In winning, they qualify for the Southeast Regional in Fort Myers, Florida, that starts play on Wednesday. With all the travel and expenses, if you are interested in helping these boys out please contact Chris Vullo.”

Anyone interested in making a donation to cover travel and lodging expenses for the Stanly County All Stars can reach out to coach Chris Vullo at 704-389-0609 for more information.

The All Stars are set to face Lynnhaven on Wednesday, San Carlos on Thursday, and Sarasota on Friday — each with a 3:30 p.m. start.

Saturday will feature a semifinals round in the morning and then a title matchup at 1 p.m.

Following the regional tournament, the winner will continue on to the 2025 Babe Ruth World Series set for Aug. 7-16 in Branson, Missouri.