Andy Phillips and Jim Wells have agreed to serve as coaches for the host West Alabama Babe Ruth 14U team during the 2019 World Series to be held in Demopolis.

From Demopolis Youth Baseball to the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds, Phillips’ career highlights are extraordinary. While attending college, Phillips played for Wells. During Phillips’ four-year career under Wells (1996-’99), Alabama enjoyed the most success in Crimson Tide history, highlighted by three College World Series appearances.

Wells served as Alabama’s head coach for 15 seasons.  He is a two-time SEC Coach of the Year and the 1997 Baseball America Coach of the Year after leading his team to a runner-up finish in the CWS. His teams won six SEC Baseball Tournament Championships and two regular-season SEC Championships.

The Babe Ruth 14U World Series will be held at the Demopolis Sportsplex on August 8-15. The West Alabama team will consist of players from across West Alabama, including Demopolis, Thomasville, Butler, Grove Hill, Jackson, Livingston, Moundville and Monroeville.

(This article originally appeared in the Wednesday, May 15 issue of the Demopolis Times.)