Covington County 17-to-18-year-old coach Eddie Stacey said the competition will be “tough” this weekend and next week at the 16-18 State Babe Ruth Baseball Tournament at LBWCC.

Covington County’s 16-year-old and 17-to-18-year-old baseball teams will compete against Excel, Mobile’s 16 and 17-18 teams, Brewton, Wetumpka, Butler, Monroe County and Luverne in the double elimination tournament.

The first game will be at 10 a.m. on Friday between Mobile’s 17-18 team and Brewton. Butler County and Monroe County will follow at 1 p.m., and then Covington County’s 16-year-old team will face Excel at 4 p.m. The last game of the night will be Covington County 17-18 vs. Luverne at 7 p.m.

“It’s going to be tough,” Stacey said. “We open with Excel, and the two teams out of Mobile and Wetumpka are the best teams at the tournament.

“Everybody is well balanced,” he said. “The two Mobile teams are the best. They’ve gone on to win the World Series six out of the last seven times, I think.”

The loser’s bracket will begin on Saturday at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The state tournament championship game is slated for Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Stacey said tournament admission is free for people from Andalusia and Covington County.