By WAYNE PHILLIPS

Sports Editor

A local youngster and a member of Greeneville's Little League baseball program will represent the state of Tennessee at The White House in Washington for the "Tee Ball On The South Lawn All-Star Game" on Wednesday, July 16.

Meredith A. Bailey, who will turn 7-years-old later this month, will be Tennessee's representative, joining 50 other young people from across the country for a day of fun with President Bush on the South Lawn of The White House.

"We're thrilled to death and so excited for Meredith," said her father, General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Kenneth Bailey. "It's such a grand opportunity for her to go to The White House and be a part of that baseball game."

Meredith plays on the Attorney John Rogers' Dodgers Pee Wee team in the Greeneville Recreation Department. The team is coached by her father and they finished second in the recently-completed tournament. She is in her third year in the Pee Wee program and her favorite position is catcher.

A total of 51 players representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia will be a part of the games on the South Lawn. The players will be divided into four teams that will play two games of one inning each. No score will be kept. Every player on the four teams will play on defense and bat once.

The games will be followed by a picnic on the South Lawn for players and their families. A baseball autographed by President George W. Bush will be presented, by the President himself, to each player.

For the past seven years, President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush have invited Little League teams to the White House for games on the South Lawn. President Bush, the first U.S. President to have played Little League, uses the games as a way to highlight the fun and camaraderie that children and their families can have by participating in the sports of baseball and softball.

While this will be the 19th game to be played on the South Lawn since 2001, it will be the first involving players from all of the states.

Since the event was announced in April, a selection panel at Little League International has reviewed hundreds of entries from around the country. Each entry was accompanied by an essay giving the reasons the youngsters were being recommended.

"When we heard about the program, we decided to send in a recommendation and see what happens," said Charlie Rader of the Greeneville Parks & Recreation Department. "We're honored that Greeneville's Little League was selected to send the Tennessee representative."

Greeneville's Pee Wee League uses the "coach pitch" rule, while the games on the South Lawn will be "tee ball." Judge Bailey said that means Meredith has some practicing to do before making the trip to Washington.

"We've got to get out in the yard and start hitting off the tee," Bailey said.

Each player will be allowed to bring only their parents onto the South Lawn with them, which means no siblings or grandparents or other relatives. Bailey said he and wife Sandy plan on accompanying their daughter.