VFW youth baseball state tournaments get underway this weekend
Jul. 7—MITCHELL — The South Dakota Veterans of Foreign Wars youth baseball state tournaments get underway this weekend, with tournaments in the eastern part of the state.
For the 12-and-under teams, Class B will compete in Parker and Hurley in an 18-team tournament.
Area teams competing in the Class B tournament include Alexandria, Bon Homme, Canistota/Freeman, Canova, Corsica/Stickney, Ethan, Parkston, Platte/Geddes, Salem, Scotland/Menno and Winner. Games start at 1:30 p.m. on Friday with six pools of three teams. All teams are guaranteed three games. Each pool winner, plus the next two best records will move to the championship bracket, which will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday. The semifinals will take place at noon Sunday, followed by the championship game at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
Wagner is the lone area Class A team competing in the 12-and-under state tournament this weekend in Humboldt. Wagner will take on the Dakota Valley Thunder, Milbank and the Lake County Wreckers in pool play on Friday and Saturday before the top-eight teams advance to the championship bracket on Saturday and Sunday.
The
second year of the state 8-and-under state tournament
will also take place this weekend in Castlewood, Hayti and Bryant. The tournament was previously scheduled to take place in the McCook County village of Center (seven miles north of Salem) but May storm damage to the field in Center forced the move to Hamlin County.
Canistota/Freeman, Canova, Corsica/Stickney and Platte Maroon will play in the 20-team tournament, with the championship set for 5 p.m. Sunday in Bryant.
Other area communities are set to host state VFW baseball tournaments in the next month's time. Salem will be the site of the Class B 10-and-under state tournament on July 15-17. Winner will host the Class A 14-and-under state tournament July 22-24, while Alexandria will host the 16U Class B state tournament Aug. 5-7.
