Cape Girardeau hosts top baseball talent

"Maybe it's home-field advantage. Maybe it's something more magical. But the Cape All-Stars have gotten the job done." These words, spoken by U12 Cape All-Stars baseball team coach, Fred Brinkopf, spoke of the success his team enjoyed in the Cal Ripken Midwest Plains 12-year-old Major/70 Region Tournament at Shawnee Park.

The team came up short at the state tournament and did not qualify for regionals, but being host of this fun event may have been the spark they needed to set their bats on fire and put defense in gear. They earned a top seed and clinched a berth in the July 16 semifinal. Their battle to get there was not without challenges, as they had to take on some tough out-of-state teams, including teams from Kansas and Nebraska. They earned their semi-final spot by rising to those challenges and defending their home turf.

As sports enthusiasts well know, there is something to be said for keeping a team together over time. These All-stars know one another--how they play, what they're capable of and their will to win. This familiarity helped. Brinkopf explained, "Our All-Star team is a team we've kept together since 9 years old." It showed. "I don't have any words, really," the coach said. "I told them I'm so proud of them."

Though the team fell to the Bismarck, North Dakota, team in the semifinals, we, too, are proud of them, and we are proud of this community for embracing this event. It brought people to our area, boosted our local economy, encouraged family time and was just plain fun.

Jackson Homecomers

The city of Jackson's annual homecoming festival begins this evening and continues until Saturday. Come out and enjoy the festivities, which include live entertainment, a carnival, Gospel singing, and, let's not forget, delicious food and desserts. The fun-for-the-whole-family celebration starts at 6 p.m. each night.