Kelso Klassic celebrates 25 years of quality fastpitch softball

~ Heuring started the tourney so his team could see better competition.

There has been at least one constant in Rick Heuring's life for the past quarter century.

The Kelso Klassic.

The 25th annual men's fastpitch softball tournament, which features some of the nation's elite teams, will take place tonight, Saturday and Sunday at Kelso City Park.

Heuring has not missed a game in the tournament since he came up with the idea for the event.

Rick Heuring sets up speakers and a canopy Thursday in preparation for the Kelso Klassic.

"I might have run home for a few minutes here or there, but I've probably seen 99 percent of every game," Heuring said with a strong hint of pride.

Just as the Kelso Klassic -- the 14-team tournament begins tonight with host Kelso Fastpitch taking on the Decatur (Ill.) Pride at 8 p.m. -- has been a way of life for Heuring, fastpitch softball has been a way of life in Kelso for years.

"That's what Kelso has always been known for, fastpitch softball," said Heuring, who grew up in Kelso and still lives there. "In the 1950s and 1960s, it was probably at its peak. Just about everybody played.

"Teams are getting fewer and fewer because young kids are not picking up the game. But there's still a lot of interest here."

There is especially strong interest in the Kelso Klassic, which always draws large crowds.

"It's a big thing for us. It's the big summer thing in Kelso," Heuring said. "The crowds are always really good."

Heuring said in the mid-1980s, when Kelso had a thriving local fastpitch league, he pondered putting together a tournament that would bring in squads from other areas.

"In the winter of 1984, when I was still playing and managing a team, we wanted some good competition and we wanted to play some other teams," Heuring said. "I just had this idea that we should host a tournament because we had the facilities.

"I sent out letters to get feelers on how much interest we would have. It was overwhelming how many people wanted to come. We had 30 or 32 teams wanting to get in the tournament."

Heuring capped the early tournaments at 16 teams, which over the years has been trimmed to 14 to guarantee every squad a minimum of three games.

"We didn't know how far this would go, but it's been pretty remarkable," said Heuring, who is employed as bookkeeper for Heartland Industries. "Everybody tells me it's one of the top tournaments in the country. Everybody knows about us, by word of mouth basically.

"It has basically been run the same all 25 years and I think people like that consistency."

The Kelso area still has a five-team league, although just one local squad -- Kelso Fastpitch -- is entered in this weekend's tournament.

"They're really the only team left around here that still travels a lot and competes in other tournaments," Heuring said.

Heuring was a player/manager on a team entered in the first few Kelso Klassics, but in order to concentrate more on his squad and the tournament, he said he strictly managed in those early years of the tourney.

After 1989, he devoted his full attention to running the tournament.

"In the early years, even when I was still a player/manager, I was basically a one-man show," Heuring said. "Now I have more help, although you never have enough."

Heuring said for about the past 10 years he has gotten major assistance from Larry Eftink, who is the tournament director, with Heuring the assistant director.

"I'm still doing about the same stuff, but Larry has been a big help," Heuring said. "I don't think people realize how much work goes into this, dealing with hotels, out-of-town umpires.

"Basically the whole year there's something going on to get ready. It gradually builds and the first of May is when it really gets crazy."

Eftink has seen nearly as many of the tournaments as Heuring. Eftink, who competes for Kelso Fastpitch, has played in all but two of the previous 24 events, Heuring said.

According to Heuring, two current Kelso Fastpitch squad members -- Jeff Schott and Brian Drew -- have played in all but one of the first 24 tournaments.

Heuring will have been involved in all 25 after this weekend. He has a hunch his role in running the tournament soon might come to an end.

"This is probably going to be it for me," said Heuring, who in addition to his full-time bookkeeping job spends much of the year officiating amateur baseball, softball and basketball. "I'll still help, but probably not doing it all like I have been."

Regardless of how much Heuring remains involved, he envisions the tournament continuing indefinitely.

"I hope it keeps going for a long time. I'd like to think so," he said. "As long as somebody is willing to put in the time and effort, there are teams wanting to come."

Decatur the favorite

The tournament begins today with four games on Kelso City Park's two fields, at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Heuring said he considers the Decatur Pride the team to beat.

Decatur, a perennial national power, will make its first Kelso Klassic appearance.

The Pride, which has won several national titles, feature a host of nationally renowned players.

The Vandalia (Ill.) Freight return as defending champions after going 4-0 in last year's tournament. They also claimed titles in 2003 and 2006.

"I consider Decatur the team to beat because of their pitching depth," Heuring said. "But about five or six other teams also have good pitching and they should be a factor.

"Vandalia will be good again. You can't discount anybody in it. It just depends on who has a good weekend."

Play will continue all day Saturday and conclude with Sunday's 3 p.m. final. An if-necessary title contest would follow.

For the second straight year -- and just the second time ever -- the champion will qualify for the International Softball Congress World Tournament in August.

Two other berths will be awarded to the International Softball Congress Tournament of Champions, also in August.