Pete Caster / pcaster@chronline.com
Centralia’s 15-year-old Babe Ruth team plays against Hoquiam on Monday, July 11 at Pioneer Park in Aberdeen. Centralia won the game 4-3 and will compete in the Southern Washington Babe Ruth Tournament, starting Wednesday at Kelso.
It’s time for this summer’s Babe Ruth state baseball tournaments, and Centralia’s Ed Wheeler Field will be as busy as ever.
The 13-year-old Southern Washington Babe Ruth Tournament will start at Wheeler Wednesday morning, showcasing the top eight teams over a five-day competition that culminates with a championship game Sunday morning.
Games start at 10 a.m. each morning, and a player recognition ceremony is set for between games at 3 p.m. Friday afternoon, in which each player from the participating teams will be introduced.
Centralia earned an automatic berth by hosting the state tournament and also won the District 3 tournament, meaning the top three District 3 placers were awarded state spots. The Hub City squad will face Camas/Washougal — the District 1 runner-up — at 7 p.m. Wednesday to start its state run.
Mount St. Helens, a team comprised of players from Toledo, Adna, Winlock, Mossyrock, Morton and Onalaska, will start play at 4 p.m. against East Grays Harbor, after going 4-2 at the district tournament. The Lewis County squad is led, at the plate, by Jackson Kuzminsky (.540 batting average), Connor Vermilyea (.531) and Cody Anderson (.513), while pitcher Wes Kuzminsky boasts a 2.13 ERA.
Teams in the tournament will be split into American (Thurston County, Pasco, Mount St. Helens, East Grays Harbor) and National (Centralia, Kennewick, Hazel Dell, Camas/Washougal) divisions. The top three teams from each division advance to Saturday’s playoffs, with the second-place National team facing the third-place American team, and vice-versa.
The winners each face a No. 1 seed in the semifinals Saturday afternoon, with Sunday’s championship game set for 10 a.m. The winner will advance to the 13-year-old Pacific Northwest Regional Tournament, which begins Aug. 1 in Vancouver.
14s
District 3 champion South Thurston and runner-up Centralia will both head north for the 14-year-old Southern Washington Babe Ruth Tournament’s opening day Wednesday at Tumwater High School.
South Thurston, which beat Centralia 9-1 in the district championship Tuesday in Chehalis, will face host Thurston County at 6 p.m., while Centralia will take on District 4 champion Midland (Enumclaw) at 3 p.m.
Centralia will then play at 9 a.m. Thursday and noon Friday, while South Thurston plays at noon Thursday at 9 a.m. Friday.
The six-team playoffs start Saturday and conclude with a championship game Sunday morning. The winner heads to the 14-year-old Pacific Northwest Regional Babe Ruth Tournament, which starts Aug. 1 in Salem, Ore.
15s
Centralia and Hoquiam will represent District 3 in the 15-year-old Southern Washington Babe Ruth Tournament in Kelso.
Centralia beat Hoquiam, 4-3, in the district championship game, and went 5-0 at districts while outscoring its opponents 54-4.
The Hub City All-Stars will face District 1 champion KWLR — a mixture of ball players from Kalama, Woodland, La Center and Ridgefield — at 4 p.m. on Wednesday in their tournament opener, will take on District 2 runner-up Richland on Thursday and face host Kelso Friday night.
Five players from Centralia hit over .400 during the last week’s district tournament, with Ty Housden leading the charge with a .533 batting average followed closely by Baylor Scott who finished the tournament with an even .500 average. Chuck McKeever hit .421, while Joe Blaser and Patrick Neely each were .400 from the dish last week in Aberdeen.
On the mound Derek Putman led the way for Centralia pitching a total of 10 innings allowing just 4 runs, walking five and striking out 12.
The teams are split into four American and four National teams. The second-place American team plays the third-place National team, and vice versa, in a playoff on Saturday, with the winners advancing to play a No. 1 seed in the semifinals. The championship game will then be played at 10 a.m. Sunday morning.
The winner will advance to the 15-year-old Pacific Northwest Regional Babe Ruth Tournament, which starts Aug. 1 in Vancouver.
Babe Ruth Baseball
13s State Tournament
At Ed Wheeler Field, Centralia
Pool Play Games
Wednesday
Thurston County vs. Pasco, 10 a.m.
Kennewick vs. Hazel Dell, 1 p.m.
Mount St. Helens vs. East Grays Harbor, 4 p.m.
Centralia vs. Camas/Washougal, 7 p.m.
Thursday
Kennewick vs. Mount St. Helens, 10 a.m.
Thurston County vs. Camas/Washougal, 1 p.m.
Centralia vs. Pasco, 4 p.m.
East Grays Harbor vs. Hazel Dell, 7 p.m.
Friday
Pasco vs. Camas/Washougal, 10 a.m.
Hazel Dell vs. Mount St. Helens, 1 p.m.
Kennewick vs. East Grays Harbor, 4 p.m.
Centralia vs. Thurston County, 7 p.m.
Bracket Play
Saturday
Game 13: American No. 2 vs. National No. 3, 10 a.m.
Game 14: National No. 2 vs. American No. 3, 1 p.m.
Game 15: Nationa 1 vs. Winner 15, 4 p.m.
Game 16: American 1 vs. Winner 14, 7 p.m.
Sunday (Championship)
Game 17: Winner 15 vs. Winner 16, 10 a.m.
