REGIONAL OPENING DAY SCHEDULE SET
Perhaps the biggest sporting event ever staged in Astoria is less than one week away.
Ernie Aiken Field will be the host site of the 2007 Babe Ruth 13-15-year-old Pacific Northwest Regional Tournament, which begins with opening ceremonies on Sunday, July 29 and commences play at 10:00 a.m. the next day.
The Pacific Northwest Region includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, plus the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. Each state and province began a "tournament trail" this summer, starting with invitational tourneys in June, continuing with district and state tournaments to qualify ten teams in total that will vie for a spot in the 13-15-year-old Babe Ruth World Series, held this year in Andalusia, Alabama.
Last year's 15-year-old PNW Regional champion came from just an hour up the river in Kelso. Kelso will attempt to repeat with a new group of kids, who defeated Kennewick 10-0 Sunday night in Centralia to claim the South Washington championship. Last year as 14-year-olds, Kennewick edged Kelso in the state championship game to earn the regional nod one year after Kelso defeated Kennewick for the 13-year-old title.
The South Washington representative is usually one of the favored teams and this year is no exception, as Kelso brings a tournament-hardened, athletic group with over 30 games played this summer and only two losses, both coming to rival Longview in their district tournament.
This year Astoria should contend for the title as their group of kids will be making their fourth consecutive regional tournament appearance and have kept their nucleus intact, while many other programs have lost top players to American Legion and other high school teams. Astoria did not compete at the North Oregon State Tournament due to their automatic entry as a host team. The North Oregon region is the lone remaining region still competing at the state tournament level and will crown its champion on Tuesday.
Last year's 14-year-old regional champion Roseburg will not return to the 15-year-old tournament to "defend" its title, as Josephine County of Grants Pass defeated South Coast (based around Coos Bay) to claim the South Oregon championship today.
Other than Kelso and Astoria, Idaho champion Lewiston and Alberta representative Calgary (the only Babe Ruth League in the province) will be familiar names to those who have followed this particular age group over the last few regional tourneys. Lewiston won the region as 13-year-olds, but has lost some key players along the way.
Teams from Helena, Montana, Douglas, Wyoming, Trail, BC and Ephrata, Washington will be among those competing for a spot in the national championship, to be played August 17-24 in Andalusia, Alabama down near the Florida panhandle.
Teams will be separated into two 5-team pools and play each team in their pool once, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the championship round on Saturday, August 4. Astoria will be pooled with West Kootenay (Trail, BC), Calgary, Helena and Douglas, WY and will not play its first game until Tuesday, July 31 at 7:00 p.m. against Calgary. Here is the schedule for the opening day of the tournament:
PACIFIC N.W. REGIONAL 13-15-YR-OLD BABE RUTH TOURNAMENT
all games at Ernie Aiken Field in Astoria
Monday, July 30
10:00 a.m.: West Kootenay (Trail, BC) vs. Helena, MT
1:00 p.m.: Josephine County (Grants Pass, OR) vs. Lewiston, ID
4:00 p.m.: Calgary vs. Douglas, WY
7:00 p.m.: Central Basin (Ephrata, WA) vs. Kelso
Ernie Aiken Field will be the host site of the 2007 Babe Ruth 13-15-year-old Pacific Northwest Regional Tournament, which begins with opening ceremonies on Sunday, July 29 and commences play at 10:00 a.m. the next day.
The Pacific Northwest Region includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, plus the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. Each state and province began a "tournament trail" this summer, starting with invitational tourneys in June, continuing with district and state tournaments to qualify ten teams in total that will vie for a spot in the 13-15-year-old Babe Ruth World Series, held this year in Andalusia, Alabama.
Last year's 15-year-old PNW Regional champion came from just an hour up the river in Kelso. Kelso will attempt to repeat with a new group of kids, who defeated Kennewick 10-0 Sunday night in Centralia to claim the South Washington championship. Last year as 14-year-olds, Kennewick edged Kelso in the state championship game to earn the regional nod one year after Kelso defeated Kennewick for the 13-year-old title.
The South Washington representative is usually one of the favored teams and this year is no exception, as Kelso brings a tournament-hardened, athletic group with over 30 games played this summer and only two losses, both coming to rival Longview in their district tournament.
This year Astoria should contend for the title as their group of kids will be making their fourth consecutive regional tournament appearance and have kept their nucleus intact, while many other programs have lost top players to American Legion and other high school teams. Astoria did not compete at the North Oregon State Tournament due to their automatic entry as a host team. The North Oregon region is the lone remaining region still competing at the state tournament level and will crown its champion on Tuesday.
Last year's 14-year-old regional champion Roseburg will not return to the 15-year-old tournament to "defend" its title, as Josephine County of Grants Pass defeated South Coast (based around Coos Bay) to claim the South Oregon championship today.
Other than Kelso and Astoria, Idaho champion Lewiston and Alberta representative Calgary (the only Babe Ruth League in the province) will be familiar names to those who have followed this particular age group over the last few regional tourneys. Lewiston won the region as 13-year-olds, but has lost some key players along the way.
Teams from Helena, Montana, Douglas, Wyoming, Trail, BC and Ephrata, Washington will be among those competing for a spot in the national championship, to be played August 17-24 in Andalusia, Alabama down near the Florida panhandle.
Teams will be separated into two 5-team pools and play each team in their pool once, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the championship round on Saturday, August 4. Astoria will be pooled with West Kootenay (Trail, BC), Calgary, Helena and Douglas, WY and will not play its first game until Tuesday, July 31 at 7:00 p.m. against Calgary. Here is the schedule for the opening day of the tournament:
PACIFIC N.W. REGIONAL 13-15-YR-OLD BABE RUTH TOURNAMENT
all games at Ernie Aiken Field in Astoria
Monday, July 30
10:00 a.m.: West Kootenay (Trail, BC) vs. Helena, MT
1:00 p.m.: Josephine County (Grants Pass, OR) vs. Lewiston, ID
4:00 p.m.: Calgary vs. Douglas, WY
7:00 p.m.: Central Basin (Ephrata, WA) vs. Kelso
posted by Matt Richert at 3:17 PM
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