[7/11/03]They say the third time’s a charm, and Vicksburg Critters coach Bubba Mims is hoping it’s the truth.

Mims and his team of 14-year-olds will head to the Super Series of America Baseball National Championships to compete for the national title.

Two years ago, the team finished second in the nation, and last year they placed third.

As one of 64 teams playing from across the country, the three-time state champion Critters are expecting nothing less than first this year.

“We’ve been real close at second and third,” Mims said. “But we want it all.”

The Series begins Sunday in St. Louis and lasts a week.

Teams are divided into 16 pools of four teams. Each team in the pool will face one another once. The team with the best record in each pool will advance, along with eight more teams chosen by fewest runs allowed.

These 24 teams will be placed in a double-elimination bracket with seedings based on runs allowed.

Last year, the Critters were seeded third in the bracket after winning all three games in their pool and giving up only six runs.

In the tournament play, the Critters lost in the semifinal to the Colorado Thunder, who won the national title.

The team, originally a league all-star team from the Culkin Athletic Association, has been together foir more than seven years.

“We’re a community team playing versus these select teams,” Mims said. “Some kids on the other teams live 200 miles apart.”

The Critters have beaten some of the best teams from areas all across the country, from California to Minnesota to Florida.

“We’re pretty well known around the little league,” Mims said.