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Class B champion Rondinelli hopes to extend magic at Mack
Staff report
STRUTHERS
Class B champion Rondinelli will look to successfully defend its Connie Mack championship when the 48th annual tournament begins Monday at Bob Cene Park.
The American Amateur Baseball Congress-affiliated tournament features 26 teams, including six from the area: Rondinelli, 1080 Media, Dave Sugar, Astro Falcons, Roth Brothers and Wharmby Sports.
“It’s probably one of the most competitive tournaments around,” tournament director Scott Ruark said on Saturday. “It’s usually a grind.
“You’re definitely looking at four or five days of pretty competitive baseball.”
Last year’s tournament was the first to feature wooden bats, which resulted in “18 or 19 one-run ballgames,” Ruark said.
“Some liked it, some didn’t,” he said of the change, which was mandated by the AABC. “I think it made it even more competitive.”
The top five teams earn bids to the regional tournament in Cincinnati, which begins on July 26.
Nearly 50 scouts attended last year’s tournament, which was lower than usual because the tournament overlapped with some others.
The Connie Mack tournament usually draws more than 60 scouts, who will watch more than a dozen games and 500 players per day.
“It’s a very fair tournament and it draws a lot of scouts,” Ruark said. “That’s the biggest thing.”
All six local teams will open play Monday evening in the double-elimination tournament.
On Cene 1, 1080 Media will play at 5 p.m. and Rondinelli will follow at 7:30.
On Cene 2, Roth Brothers will play at 5 p.m. and Dave Sugar at 7:30.
On Cene 3, Wharmby will play at 5 p.m. and Astro Falcons at 7:30.
Rondinelli, 1080 Media and Dave Sugar are still alive in the NABF Regional and are vying for berths in the NABF World Series in Jackson, Miss.
Elsewhere, Class Little “b” champion Rondinelli Tuxedo earned an automatic bid to the NABF World Series in Northville, Mich. Astro Falcons and Roth Brothers played a semifinal game on Saturday and are still alive for the second World Series berth.