BENTON HOSTING GIRLS' NATIONAL SOFTBALL TOURNEY

As far as Babe Ruth girls fast-pitch softball is concerned, the small community of Benton will have the national spotlight all to itself this week.

The Heartland Girls Softball League will be hosting the 1997 Babe Ruth National Tournament Thursday through Sunday on two adjacent fields in the Benton City Park.

Teams will battle for national championships in three age divisions: 12-under, 13-15 and 16-18. There will be 19 teams competing in all, mainly regional champions along with three local host squads (one in each division). More than 300 players not to mention coaches, parents and other fans will converge on Benton for the tournament.

"Everybody is really excited," said tournament director Mike Riley. "We expect 1,000 people to be here for our opening ceremonies Thursday. And based on what Babe Ruth officials have told us, we can expect anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 people to come through here during the tournament. That's a lot for a small community."

Riley said that, since the Heartland Girls Softball League had been sending so many teams to the national tournament anyway, league officials decided it was time to try to host the event.

"We've been to nationals a lot and we just decided that we wanted to try and get to host this thing," he said. "Last year we were in the running to get it but we didn't. This year we were first on the list. The people from New Jersey (where the national organization is located) came down and everything checked out fine."

So instead of having its league teams that qualify for nationals travel to other parts of the country, this year the local girls will get to stay at home to take on the nation's best teams. And the local league won't have to raise all the money that it took to attend national tournaments.

"The kids are really getting excited, but now they kind of hate it that we're having it here because they don't get to travel and see different parts of the country," said Riley with a laugh. "But it sure saves money on travel."

Teams will begin arriving to the area today, with check-in from 4-7 p.m. A coaches meeting will be held tonight to determine the pairings for the tournament.

Opening ceremonies are set for 10:30 a.m. Thursday, with the first game scheduled for 12:30 p.m. There will eight games Thursday, 10 Friday, 13 Saturday and up to five Sunday, depending on `if-needed' games in the double-elimination event.

The host Heartland League teams will all have games Thursday, 12-under at 5:30 p.m., 16-18 at 6 p.m. and 13-15 at 8 p.m. Opponents will be determined tonight.

Championship games are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. The 16-18 final will be at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, with the 12-under final at 11 a.m. Sunday and the 13-15 final at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The 12-under and 13-15 divisions will each feature seven teams, with the 16-18 division consisting of five teams. This is the first year for a national champion to be decided on the 16-18 level.

In 12-under, joining the local squad will be regional champions from Jacksonville, Fla.; Merrionette Park, Ill.; Manchester, Iowa; Stanford, Conn.; Hamilton, N.J.; and Terriboone, La..

On the 13-15 level, competing will be regional winners from Mosinee, Wis.; Pueblo, Colo.; Stanford, Conn.; Augusta County, Va.; Kimberton, Pa.; and Terriboone, La.

In 16-18, there will be regional champs from Greenville, N.C.; Eagle Pass, Texas; Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.; and Richmond, Va.

As national host, the Heartland Girls Softball League -- which features 17 teams in the various divisions -- did not have to attend state and regional competitions to qualify. But that doesn't mean the area players won't stack up well with the rest of the field.

The local 13-15 team has been to nationals every year since 1994 and won the national title in 1992, when a national event was held for the first time. The 12-under team has also qualified for nationals while this is the first year for the 16-18 division.

"Our teams have always done well in the past," Riley said. "All the teams here will be good and a lot depends on the draw. But our teams are always solid."

Riley said getting ready for a tournament of this magnitude has taken considerable work from a lot of people, including host families who are housing the approximately 290 players that will be coming in for the event.

"We've been working on this thing since the first of the year. It's taken a lot of preparation," he said. "The coaches in our league and the community have really pitched in.

"The host families will keep the kids until they're eliminated from the tournament. They actually adopt those kids until the time they leave as far as room and board, getting them to and from games, doing things with them when they're not playing."

The tournament also figures to be a boost to the area economy. While the visiting players are staying with families, coaches, parents and other fans will be staying in motels.

"Drury Inn of Sikeston is the host motel and I think that's going to be pretty well full," said Riley. "A lot of other motels in Cape and Sikeston should also be getting a lot of business. And the restaurants, too."