FORD & SONS TO HOST 9-TEAM CAPAHA CLASSIC THIS WEEKEND

Defending champion Jefferson City has decided not to return, but there still shouldn't be a shortage of talent when the second annual Capaha Classic Tournament is held this weekend.

The Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons American Legion baseball squad is serving as host for the three-day, nine-team event to be held at all three of Cape's primary diamonds.

"I'm looking for a very good tournament," said Cape manager and tourney director Ron Michel. "It went very well last year and hopefully things will go just as well this time."

The majority of the tournament will consist of pool play leading up to Sunday's championship game.

With Jefferson City dropping out relatively late, there will be five teams in one pool and four in the other.

The Blue Pool will consist of Cape, Manchester, De Soto, Washington and Rogersville.

In the Gold Pool are Chaffee, Perryville, Festus and Ballwin, which lost to Jefferson City in last year's title game.

Michel expects perennial Legion power Ballwin and Chaffee to be the favorites in the Gold Pool while he considers his squad as one of the teams to beat in the Blue Pool.

"Ballwin is always very strong and Chaffee should have a really good team this year," Michel said.

Four fields will be used today, with three games at Capaha: Washington vs. Manchester (5 p.m.), Cape vs. Washington (7:15) and Rogersville vs. Manchester (9:30).

In a pair of 5:30 p.m. games, Chaffee plays Ballwin at Notre Dame while De Soto faces Rogersville at Cape Central. At 6 p.m., Perryville hosts Festus.

There will be nine more pool games Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m. and concluding at 8 p.m. The fields at Capaha, Notre Dame and Cape Central will be utilized, with five of the contests at Capaha.

There will be three pool games at 10 a.m. Sunday -- at each of the three fields in town -- with the pool winners meeting at 1:30 p.m. at Capaha to decide the championship.

All the games will be seven innings except for the championship contest, which will be nine innings.

Capaha Classic Legion Tournament

Today's Games

(at Capaha Field)

5 p.m. -- Washington vs. Manchester

7:15 p.m. -- Cape vs. Washington

9:30 p.m. -- Rogersville vs. Manchester

(at Notre Dame)

5:30 p.m. -- Chaffee vs. Ballwin

(at Cape Central)

5:30 p.m. -- De Soto vs. Rogersville

(at Perryville)

6 p.m. -- Perryville vs. Festus

Saturday's Games

(at Capaha Field)

10 a.m. -- Perryville vs. Ballwin

12:30 p.m. -- Chaffee vs. Festus

3 p.m. -- Perryville vs. Chaffee

5:30 p.m. -- Washington vs. De Soto

8 p.m. -- Cape vs. Rogersville

(at Notre Dame)

12:30 p.m. -- Cape vs. Manchester

3 p.m. -- De Soto vs. Manchester

(at Cape Central)

12:30 p.m. -- Rogersville vs. Washington

3 p.m. -- Ballwin vs. Festus

Sunday's Games

(at Notre Dame)

10 a.m. -- Cape vs. De Soto

(at Cape Central)

10 a.m. -- Perryville vs. Chaffee

(at Capaha Field)

10 a.m. -- Festus vs. Ballwin

1:30 p.m. -- Championship (pool winners)