Play Ball!

Senior Little Leage Championship Tournament Director Glen Fiebig takes getting the field ready for the tournament very seriously.

Teenaged baseball players from across the state will converge on Emporium in the coming week for the annual Pa. State Senior Little League Championship Tournament.

Long-time tournament director Glen Fiebig said that everything is in order as he continued preparation of the field Thursday.

"This is great," Fiebig said holding his hands out in the steady rain. "The field ought to be in excellent condition if this keeps up."

Fiebig said he anticipates larger-than-usual crowds for the tournament, thanks to an expected increase in local fans, despite the fact that no local teams are playing.

"We won't see audiences of two or 3,000 like we did last year," he said. "But last year's tournament brought a lot of local people out who didn't even know what this tournament was. They saw the quality of baseball that these kids play and I think we'll see a lot of them back."

Last year, Cameron County's All-Stars played in front of thousands of fans and lost on the doorstep of the state championship.

The public is welcome to watch what is sure to be some spirited youth baseball competition at the Little League Com- plex on Sizerville Road. Opening ceremony is at 4 pm Friday. Tournament will continue through Monday, July 30.

Brackets including the tournament outcome and game times will be posted for the public at the field and the concession stand will be open.

Players, coaches, volunteers and others affiliated with the state tournament will relax on Saturday night during a free concert at the Little League field, featuring the band, 3rd and Long.