7 teams highlight Babe Ruth baseball tournament

Covington County’s 16-18 Babe Ruth Baseball All-Stars say they’re the Atlanta Braves.

The host team of the 2014 Babe Ruth Southeast Regional Tournament will be using that mind set as the tournament kicks off tomorrow morning on Crum Foshee Field at LBWCC.

CC coach Manuel Owens, who also serves as the tournament director, said the boys believe they are the popular major league team because they play “good baseball at times and bad baseball at times.”
“We’re pretty excited,” he said.

The Covington County All-Stars include Devin McDuffie, R.D. Clarke, Brennan Head, Jeffrey Fuller, Austin Worley, Johnny Owens, Beau Spivey, Jarren Williams, Todd Wright, Hunter Odom, Zach Ward, Ethan Jordan, Dylan Jordan and Maverick Ladson with Owens and Donald Worley serving as coaches.

Seven teams will be participating in the tournament and the regions represented hail from Gulf Coast, Ala.; Lumber River, N.C. (East); Julington Creek, Fla.; Greater Fairfax, Va.; Startown Optimist, N.C. (West); Lawrenchburg, Tenn. (East); and host, Covington County.

There are two pools — American and National Division — of teams playing for the right to represent the region at the Babe Ruth World Series in Ephrata, Wash. The top two seeds from each pool advance to the double elimination bracket play, which starts Friday at 4 p.m.

Gulf Coast is joined by Lumber River and Julington Creek in the American Division; and Covington County is joined by Greater Fairfax, Startown Optimist and Lawrenchurg in the National Division.

Owens said all seven teams are pretty good.

“This is looking to be a good tournament,” he said.

With a tournament this size coming to town, volunteers are always needed to help make things run smoothly.

Owens said he already has a force of volunteers, but is always glad to accept any other help.

Unlike the World Series where players stay at host homes, teams will be staying in hotels, Owens said.

Admission to the tournament is free for all because each team pays a gate, or entrance, fee to enter the exhibition.

Tonight, there will be a pizza party for teams, managers and umpires at the Kiwanis Building.

Opening ceremonies will be held tomorrow night between the 4 and 7 p.m. games.

“We want to encourage folks to come out and watch some baseball,” Owens said.

The tournament championship will be held on Sunday at noon.

Those interested in volunteering can call Owens at 334-488-9212.