Ranger Youth Baseball Tournament at Longview’s Lear Park July 14-19

News Release:
Contact: Harry Eneman
903-237-1270

“Texas Series” comes to Longview’s Lear Park July 14-19

Players representing 25 baseball teams from across the state will be arriving in Longview Friday with the hopes of leaving town the middle of the following week as state champions.

These teams will be participating in the Ranger Youth Baseball “Texas Series,” a state tournament for 14-Under baseball players Saturday through Thursday, July 14-19, at Longview’s Lear Park Baseball Complex.

The tournament features three divisions: 14-Under, 14-Under Jr. (small leagues) and 13-Under. Nine teams will compete in both the 14-Under and 14-Under Jr.  divisions and seven squads will battle for the 13-Under title.

These teams came from among 64 leagues which played this second season in the Ranger Youth Baseball organization for 14-Under baseball players. Charles Williams serves as the State Chairman and will be the tournament director. Lonny Penwell is the local chairman for Longview Boys Baseball, which is joining forces with the City of Longview Parks and Recreation Dept. to host the double-elimination affair.

Festivities kick off Friday evening at Lear Park with opening ceremonies to welcome the participating teams along with dinner. Local officials are offering a variety of baseball-related contests like long ball hitting, base running and around-the-horn throwing.

Tournament play gets under way Saturday morning in the two 14-Under divisions and early that afternoon in the 13-Under group. There will be four bracket games played both Saturday and Sunday in the 14-Under divisions and three both days in the 13-Unders.

On Field 2 in 14-Under Division action, Paris opens up against East Montgomery County Saturday at 10 a.m.; Cooke County and Hallsville tangle at 1 p.m.; Nacogdoches faces Pittsburg at 5 p.m. and Rusk meets host Longview at 8 p.m. The ninth team, Mount Pleasant, plays Sunday at 10 a.m. against the Cooke County-Hallsville winner.

The 14-Under Jr. Division matchups Saturday on Field 3 include Whitewright meeting Wortham at 9:45 a.m.; Spring Hill battling Pineland at 12:45 p.m.; Howe taking on Union Grove at 4:45 p.m. and DeKalb squaring off against Overton at 7:45 p.m. The ninth club in the bracket, Jefferson, drew a first-round bye and opens action Sunday morning at 9:45 against the Spring Hill-Pineland winner.

The 13-Under Division kicks off on Field 4 Saturday with Paris matching up against Cooke County at 1 p.m., followed by East Montgomery County and host Longview at 4:30 p.m.; and Gilmer facing Howe at 7:30 p.m. The seventh team in 13-Under, Nacogdoches, has a bye before tangling with the Gilmer-Howe winner Sunday at 1 p.m.

Games continue at Lear Baseball Complex Sunday through Wednesday with the 13-Under championship contest slated for Wednesday night and both 14-Under title matchups on Thursday evening.

Ranger Youth Baseball was started and is run by the State Chairman and eight district directors from all parts of Texas. Among those directors assisting with the “Texas Series” are Ty Chapman of Anna, Longview’s Larry Lancaster, Lammon Reese from Palestine, Kenny Cook of Lufkin and John Burt from Cleveland.

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Parks and Recreation

Lear Park,    100 H.G. Mosely (map)