As baseball season winds down, some Jacksonville Beach little leaguers are chasing a dream that stretches far beyond their home field.

The Barracudas, a 12-and-under all-star team also known as Jax Beach Riley, have earned an invitation to play next summer in Cooperstown, New York, where they will compete against teams from across the country.

The road to get here has been anything but easy.

For players like 12-year-old Brayden Stephens, baseball is more than just a game — it’s a triumph.

When Brayden was just 3 years old, he was diagnosed with kidney cancer. His mother, Kara Stephens, has a vivid memory of his chemotherapy that still makes her emotional.

“The realest part for me, I was giving him a bath, and it was just chunks of this beautiful hair just coming out,” she said.

Brayd

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