The Little League Baseball World Series begins Wednesday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with Alabama's Kinley Rasmus standing out among the young competitors. Rasmus, a two-way star from Phenix City, pitched a complete-game shutout in the regional final and went 6-for-8 with two RBIs and four walks during the tournament. Her talent is matched by an extraordinary family legacy. She is the niece of former MLB center fielder Colby Rasmus, who had 891 hits over a 10-season career and was part of the 1999 Phenix City squad that reached Williamsport. Her father, Cory Rasmus, pitched in 84 major league games and serves as an assistant coach for the current team. The head coach is her uncle Case Rasmus, a former minor leaguer whose son Ryker, Kinley's cousin, is also on the roster. Their grandfather Tony Rasmus, a former Angels draft pick, coached the 1999 team. Adding to the baseball lineage, Kinley's mother Jill is a Southern Miss softball alum, and her uncle Jeff Mathis enjoyed a 17-year MLB career as a catcher. With four Rasmuses on the 2026 Phenix City team, Kinley hopes to follow in her family's footsteps and bring glory to her hometown.

Kinley credits her father for teaching her curveball and says she's always heard stories about Williamsport from him.

The 2026 Phenix City team aims to replicate the success of the 1999 squad, which won the U.S. portion of the bracket and reached the world championship series.