NATCHEZ — For the Advance Sports Braves 8-and-younger travel team, the runs seem to come in bunches.

The Braves are currently averaging 14 runs per game, which has helped propel them to a 12-6 record in USSSA class play this season.

The coach-pitch team has four hitters batting at least .600, with its leading hitter, Rhet McDonald, hitting .820. Braves coach Shaun McDonald said his team recently won the King of the Hill tournament May 14-15 in Gonzalez, La.

“It was the first tournament win for us, and it was amazing,” McDonald said. “Winning the tournament picked everyone up.”

The Braves will head to Baton Rouge this weekend to play in the Rough Cut Diamond Challenge. They will also play in the Louisiana State tournament June 17-19 and in the USSSA World Series July 6-10.

The Braves have remained ranked in the top five in the State of Louisiana, and McDonald said they usually swap between No. 1 and 2.

“We play year round, and we play against top competition week in and week out,” McDonald said. “Everyone in tournament ball is good, and this is not just something they do in the summer.”

And it’s because of the year-round schedule that his players are getting such good preparation, McDonald said.

“Everything is different between these kids and others (not playing travel ball) in that these kids do it every day,” McDonald said. “We probably take a couple of hundred ground balls a week. They have a great work ethic and they buy into the team concept.”

McDonald also said each player on the Braves gets a chance to hit and field.

“We play 10, and we have 11 on the team, so we sub our catcher out every inning,” McDonald said. “Most of these kids have been playing together at least two years.”

Rhet McDonald, 8, said he moved from shortstop to third base, and short is the position he prefers.

“I get to cover second, and I get a lot of the action,” Rhet McDonald said. “Short is easier than third, because you have a lot more time (to react to the ball).”

Brett Walsworth, 8, who plays left center, said he spends at least six days a week doing baseball activities.

“About every day,” Walsworth said. “I enjoy doing it. When you’re on a team, you can make new friends, and when you make a bad play, your teammates pick you up.”

Shaun McDonald said several of his players also play summer youth baseball, and he said they have no problem doing both that and travel ball.

“We’ll do our practices early, then they go to their games or practices,” McDonald said. “They’re getting twice as much baseball. We even had two (Wednesday) that worked out at Advance Sports for two hours before coming here.”

The Braves will have several fundraisers in the near future. They will host a hit-a-thon June 14 and sell chicken plates July 1.