​WEBB CITY, MO. — Fresh off a state championship win, the Webb City Senior Little League 16U has turned its attention to gearing up for the regional tournament in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky while aiming to raise funds for the trip through local businesses and community supporters.“We know we’re going to face tough competition,” manager Isaac Wheat said. “We’ve seen it in 2024 at the junior level, and there’s a lot of great, great pitching, a lot of great batting. It’s going to be tough.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWebb City qualified for the regional stage thanks to a wild come-from-behind effort against defending state champions DeSoto.After dropping Game 1 of the best-of-three series 16-13, Webb City bounced back with a 16-15 win in Game 2 to force a winner-take-all matchup, where the 16U All Stars plated nine runs in the final frame for a walk-off 24-23 win to keep the season alive.With the ticket to Lawrenceburg punched, Webb City is one step closer to advancing to the Senior League World Series.“That would be huge because they would be the first in our Little League softball history to do that,” Wheat said. “But this team already knows that they’re winners.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“This is our last year playing as seniors,” shortstop Maddison McNamara said. “That would be really phenomenal.”After being presented the state champion banner, Webb City’s 16U All-Star team is in the midst of an eight-day turnaround from state competition to departing for regionals.With several practices mixed in throughout the week, the team is staying busy off the field as well through fundraising efforts.“What we’re doing right now is we’ve got a banner sponsorship available where we’re going out and these girls are hitting the streets, are hitting up every business throughout Webb city and Joplin,” Wheat said.“We had to get straight back out there,” pitcher Christianna Marney said. “We’re going around to all sorts of businesses and asking for charitable donations.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn top of banner sponsorships, the team will also be doing a helmet block at the intersection of Broadway and Madison in Webb City beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 18.Throughout both the winning moments and fundraising efforts, one thing has remained constant: community support.“We call Webb City home, but Joplin and Carl Junction and Carthage and just this community is such an amazing community and their hearts are generous and we’re very blessed to live in it,” Wheat said.Not only will the Webb City team be playing outside the Four States for the first time this season, the regional tournament games will also be broadcast to a national audience on ESPN+.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“This has been my home since forever, and I’ve always been told I grew up repping Webb City. So I’m excited to show everyone,” McNamara said.The team departs for Lawrenceburg