MATTOON -- Temporary fences have been put around Grimes Field because, yes, admission has to be charged.
If local organizers had their druthers, folks would get to watch free baseball like most of the time at Mattoon.
The Babe Ruth baseball organization sets the prices for this event, and certainly this is no ordinary time, even for Mattoon, which makes it a habit of having more than just ordinary ballgames at its facilities.
Winners from nine tournaments – crowning either state champions or champs for states divided in half – join host Mattoon in the Babe Ruth Ohio Valley Regional for 15-year-olds to determine a World Series berth.
“The 15-year-old division is kind of like the Babe Ruth’s primary age group,” said Vince Walk, the president of Mattoon’s Babe Ruth League as well as a district commissioner. “It’s the one that (former local stars Ryan) Hastings and (Mitch) Hilligoss played in when they were 15-year-olds. It’s kind of for the Ohio Valley, their biggest tournament. You are going to see the best baseball. You are going to see some 15-year-olds who are probably going to get drafted out of high school. Of course, right now they are only 15.”
Most likely, they are to play better than most 15-year-olds.
Purchase of a day pass costing $5 for adults and $3 for ages 5-15 with children under 5 free is good for as many as four games on Friday, five each on Saturday and Sunday and four more on Monday.
Tournament passes priced at $15 for adults and $10 for ages 5-15 work for all the games through at least Tuesday and maybe the if-necessary game on Wednesday in this double-elimination affair.
Of course, with Kurt Stretch, Mattoon’s parks superintendent and grounds crew expert, leading the way, Peterson Park is getting spruced up with flags around Grimes Field, an Ohio Valley logo on the field, extra picnic tables and tents.
“The field has been used a lot this year but it’s in good shape,” Stretch said. “It’s here to use. We’ve played about 200 games here this year.”
This tournament and then next week’s Senior American Legion Great Lakes Regional, another of those tourneys that determines a World Series berth, are main reasons Mattoon expanded its Grimes Field press box this year.
Entrance to the entire Peterson Park is still available for those interested in a picnic rather than baseball.
The fence surrounds the baseball field area with the admission to the tournament set behind the press box where handicap parking as well as a drop-off area is available.
If attendance is not always capacity, one of the reasons might be Mattoon has some of its baseball fans elsewhere.
Two other Mattoon Babe Ruth teams won Southern Illinois tournaments sending them to Ohio Valley Regionals – the 13-year-olds at Noblesville, Ind., and 14s to Robinson while Mattoon Post 88 began play Wednesday night in the American Legion state tournament at Arlington Heights.
Mattoon’s 15-year-olds have an automatic Ohio Valley regional berth as the tourney host and are to play in Friday’s fourth game following opening ceremonies that are to include honoring Mattoon’s Dick Considine, whose three decades of service to Babe Ruth baseball include serving as state commissioner as well as to in the past running league day-to-day operation at both Lawson and Peterson Parks.
Effingham won the Southern Illinois tournament for a berth in this regional and is to play at 5 p.m. against Wisconsin state champion Appleton in the third game of the tourney that is to start at noon with Mount Vernon, Ohio, facing Russell County, Ky.
OHIO VALLEY REGIONAL SCHEDULE
For 15-year-olds
At Grimes Field in Mattoon’s Peterson Park
Friday
Game 1: Mount Vernon, Ohio vs. Russell County, Ky., noon
Game 2: Benton Harbor, Mich. vs. Meade County, Ky. 2:30
Game 3: Appleton, Wis., vs. Effingham, 5 p.m.
Game 4: Mattoon vs. New Castle, Ind., 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Game 5: LaPorte, Ind., vs. winner of game 1, 9 a.m.
Game 6: Westmont vs. winner of game 4, 11:30 a.m.
Game 7: Elkins, W. Va., vs. winner of game 2, 2 p.m.
Game 8: Losers of games 3 and 4, 4:30 p.m.
Game 9: Losers of games 2 and 5, 7 p.m.
Sunday
Game 10: Losers of games 1 and 7, 9 a.m.
Game 11: Winners of games 8 and 9, 11:30 a.m.
Game 12: Winners of games 3 and 5, 2 p.m.
Game 13: Winners of games 6 and 7, 4:30 p.m.
Game 14: Loser of game 6 vs. winner of game 10, 7 p.m.
Monday
Game 15: Winner of game 11 vs. loser of game 13, 1 p.m.
Game 16: Loser of game 5 vs. winner of winner of game 14, 3:30 p.m.
Game 17: Winners of games 12 and 13, 6 p.m.
Game 18: Winners of games 15 and 16, 8 p.m.
Tuesday
Game 19: Loser of game 14 vs. winner of game 18, 5:30 p.m.
Game 20: Winners of games 17 and 19, 8 p.m.
Wednesday
Game 21: if necessary, TBA
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
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