Babe Ruth state tournaments draw crowd at Shawnee

On paper, the task was daunting.

Not so on the fields.

When faced with hosting not one, not two, not even three, but four state baseball tournaments over a four-day span, what better place than the Shawnee Park Sports Complex? And what better hosts than the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department?

Under sun-drenched skies and unseasonably warm temperatures, the four tournaments played out in front of a hearty throng of players, fans and spectators that numbered into quadruple digits on Saturday.

"The weather's been perfect, the concessions, a lot of compliments on that," said Chris Eastridge of the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department, whose chore it was the organize, staff and orchestrate the summer's top tournament for U8, U9, U11 and U13 teams throughout Missouri.

It began on Thursday night at Capaha Park, with the Opening Ceremonies attended by players, coaches and fans. It concludes today, with championship games slated for three of the four divisions.

"The hardest part has been getting workers," Eastridge said. "You've got to have scorekeepers for all the games, you have to have umpires, you have to have concession staff. You're trying to please teams from out of town, and getting them hotels, and they're staying in your community."

Anthony Lanzotti of the Cape All Stars waits his turn to bat against Carthage in the 11-year-old bracket game of the Missouri State Babe Ruth Baseball Tournament Saturday, July 18, 2015 at Shawnee Park Sports Complex. (Fred Lynch)

But the community responded in a big way.

"It's been great," said Daren Jeffries, head coach of the Bonneville U9 team, one of four teams from a small town located between Kansas City and Columbia in northwest Missouri that qualified for the weekend's tournaments. "The fields are really nice, and everybody's been really nice. It's been a good experience."

Laura and Robert French traveled from Bonne Terre to watch their son, Kamron, compete for Mineral Area in the U9 bracket.

"It's exciting that they made it this far," said Laura French.

"We're gonna check out Lambert's Restaurant," she said of the Sikeston institution. "Because we've never been there."

Other families chose restaurants closer to the park. With more than 1,000 players, coaches and fans converging on Southeast Missouri, area motels, restaurants and attractions were enjoying the uptick in business.

"Some of our group went to (Cape Splash)," said Jeff Bryant, a coach and parent for the Kennett U9 squad. "They had a lot of fun."

Cape All Stars reliever Grant James celebrates after pitching the last out to win 7-6 over Carthage in the 11-year-old bracket game of the Missouri State Babe Ruth Baseball Tournament Saturday, July 18, 2015 at Shawnee Park Sports Complex. (Fred Lynch)

Keeping cool both at and away from the ball park was a chief concern with temperatures in the 90s and heat indexes climbing well above 100 degrees.

Most teams utilized open-sided tents or awnings to provide their spectators cover from the scorching sun's rays. Todd Centers was busy erecting a 10x10 tent to provide coverage for fans of the U13 Cape\Jackson All-Stars.

"For us (spectators) it's key because we're not young anymore," Centers said. "But for the kids, we brought them to come in and have a place to cool down. Everybody's got several bags of ice, water and Gatorade. And we make sure that we bring them some snacks so they've got protein and they can keep their energy levels up. ... We want to make sure that they can endure."

Patty Norburg was one of more than 30 fans who traveled from Carthage, near Joplin, to cheer on its U11 team that had won its first two games. Her grandson, Nate, was the catcher for Carthage.

The Carthage fans were nestled under three awnings, finding shade under nearby trees or lined along the first-base fence. Grandma Norbury, mindlessly munching sunflower seeds while keeping a close eye on the proceedings, cheered when one of the Carthage players rapped a single to left, then muttered under her breath when a subsequent batter was called out looking on strike three.

Owen Ladson of the Cape-Jackson All Stars gets a drink of water after pitching against SEMO South in the 13-year-old bracket game of the Missouri State Babe Ruth Baseball Tournament Saturday, July 18, 2015 at Shawnee Park Sports Complex. (Fred Lynch)

The Cape U11 All-Star team eventually defeated Carthage 7-6 on Saturday afternoon to advance to today's noon state championship. Carthage won later in the day to set up a rematch for the title.

"Most of these boys have played together for three years," Norburg said, noting the team enjoyed frolicking in the hotel pool and spent Friday afternoon at the bowling alley in a team-bonding experience. "We've got good support. Almost every parent is here."

The crowd put pressure on a concession crew that is nonetheless used to serving a large fans base.

"The biggest thing is planning," said Kaed Horrell, Assistant Recreation Division Manager and Facilities Supervisor for the Shawnee Complex. He was busy making sure his concession employees were keeping fans and players happy and fed. "Making sure you have enough food and drink and everything like that. We always go through and count inventory and make sure we got what we think we're gonna need."

Horrell usually has four office people manning the concession stand, which offered hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, brats and fries, along with candy and the most popular choice of the weekend.

"Anything cold," Horrell laughed. "Ice waters or sodas -- or Dippin' Dots. Kids love the Dippin' Dots."