Regional Cal Ripken tournament coming to Marion
Marion might as well be called Tournament Town.
While the 2008-09 Marion High School sports scene begins with playing host to volleyball and basketball tournaments, some 12-year-old Marion baseball players will have the opportunity to play in one of the biggest tournaments the town has ever seen.
Seven teams from across the Midwest will collide in Marion July 25-30 for the 2008 Cal Ripken 12-and-under Mid-West Plains Regional.
A mouthful yes, but all anyone involved with the tournament cares about is the fact the winner will advance to the Cal Ripken 12-and-under World Series in Aberdeen, Md.
An all-star team from Marion will be joined by another one from Kansas, as well as Minnesota, North Dakota, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado.
"All of the teams that end up here will be very good," tournament organizer Casey Case said. "They call this the 'Tournament of Champions.'"
With the exception of the Marion team, who is automatically in, the other seven teams will have had to been district and state champions before coming to Marion.
The local team will compete in the state tournament, and if they do win, the other Kansas representative in the tournament actually will have been a state-runner up.
While the tournament is exciting for those involved, the town will be affected as well.
Businesses and lodging should see increases in sales.
Also, Case said around 40 families will be needed as host families to house between two and six players from out of state.
"I'm hoping everyone on the [Marion] team will do it," he said of hosting. "That's 15 right there."
The families will be in charge of food and laundry for the players as well as transporting them to the ball fields.
Volunteers also will be needed for concessions, gate keeping, score keeping, announcing, and more according to Case.
A new look
The tournament will begin on July 25 with a homerun derby and a tournament picnic.
Afterward the players will go with their host families.
When games begin, they all will be on B-field at Marion Baseball/Softball Complex.
Case said the infield will be re-graded by the time play starts.
The outfield will be moved in, and Seacat Hardware will provide a portable fence since the field is made for high school play.
The bases will be set at 70 feet, and the pitching mound will be 50 feet from home plate.
Case said Cal Ripken changed the distance from 60 and 46 for more competitive play.
There will be World Series champions at both levels.
Case feels the competition at the 70-foot tournament in Marion will be great.
He knows not to look too far ahead, but he feels Marion has plenty of good baseball players to offer.
"We wouldn't have this if we didn't think we could compete," he said.
If anyone is interested in volunteering as a host family or any on-site jobs contact Case at (620)-382-2106 or Margo Yates at (620) 382-3425.
