Alabama went 27 years without a team reaching the Little League World Series before Phenix City punched its ticket to Williamsport, Pennsylvania earlier this month.
The last Alabama representative in the international youth baseball tournament? Also Phenix City.
Phenix City reached the championship game of the 1999 Little League World Series with a 3-2 semifinal win over Toms River (New Jersey), but fell 5-0 to Hirakata (Japan) in the final.
That run also featured a familiar name to the team making the trip in 2026.
REQUIRED READING: Every Alabama team in Little League World series from 1953 to 2026
Former MLB players and brothers Cory and Colby Rasmus both played for Phenix City in the 1999 LLWS. Now, Cory returns to Williamsport as an assistant coach alongside his younger brother and Phenix City head coach, Chase. Cory's daughter, Kinley, is one of the team's standouts.
Phenix City's return ends the longest drought between LLWS appearances in Alabama history and gives the city its second trip to Williamsport. Representing the Southeast, Alabama's all-stars will open up the LLWS on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 2 p.m. CT.
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for The Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Revisiting the last Alabama team to reach Little League World Series 27 years ago