By By Michael S. Hill
Atmore's five Babe Ruth League baseball teams begin tournament play this week. Atmore will be represented by 10-, 11- and 12-year-old teams in state tournaments in Attalla beginning July 13. The 13- and 14-15 year-old teams will host the Area 2 tournaments here in Atmore beginning July 14.
The teams playing in Attalla will be playing double-elimination state tournaments at the Attalla Sports Complex. Tournament championship games will be played on July 16 or 17, depending on losses.
In the 10-year-old tourney, Atmore awaits the winner of the Blount County-Florence game. Hokes Bluff and host Attalla are also in the tournament.
The 11-year-old tournament has Atmore squaring off with Attalla in the first round. Florence lies in wait for the Blount County-Hokes Bluff winner.
In the 12-year-old tournament, Atmore will face the Attalla-Blount County winner while Gadsden takes on Florence in the other first-round game.
Atmore's 13- and 14-15 year-old teams will play host to double-elimination area tournaments at Tom Byrne Park. Championship games will be played on July 16 or 17, depending on losses.
The 13-year-old team faces Opp in the first-round game. Monroeville has the first-round bye and will face the Atmore-Opp winner. The 14-15 year-old team also faces Opp in the opening round, with South Monroe waiting in the wings.
Winners of the area tournaments will play in state tournaments in Huntsville. State tournament winners move on to the Southeast Regionals, where the 10-year-olds will play in Winchester, Va., 11-year-olds in Spartenburg, S.C., 12-year-olds in Florence, Ala., 13-year-olds in Union City, Tenn., and 13-15 year-olds in Tallahassee, Fla. Regional winners move on to the Babe Ruth League World Series. The 10-, 11- and 12-year-old World Series will be played in Matoon, Ill., the 13-year-old World Series in Jamestown, N.Y., and the 13-15 year-old World Series in Lebanon, Mo.