A Little League baseball tournament last held in Haines in 1976 is back, starting with games July 17 at the Southeast fairgrounds.
Organizer and league president Ashley Sage said she expects as many as 55 players, plus coaches and parents for the competition through Sunday, July 22.
The tournament rotates around in Southeast communities but stopped coming here in part for lack of a local, regulation field, Sage said. “Now that we have a regulation field back, we got in on the rotation.”
The Southeast District II tournament features teams from Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Craig, as well as an all-star team from the two local teams of 11- and 12-year-olds, Sage said.
The tournament winner will go to Anchorage for state championship games, and, if successful, to the western division championship in San Bernardino, Calif. The competition culminates with the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. “This is the (little league championship) you see on TV,” Sage said.
Tournament play will include concessions and announcers to broadcast games to other communities, Sage said. The Haines team plays 6 p.m. on July 17 and July 19 and at 3 p.m. July 21.
Two weeks of “T-Ball” remain on the local ball schedule. The final game will be 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, Sage said. A team of players ages 9-10 will play in a Juneau tournament this weekend.