SEMO BANK JR. LEGION OPENS TOURNAMENT TODAY

After watching Cape Girardeau's Senior Legion baseball team hold the eight-team Capaha Classic this past weekend, the Cape SEMO Bank Junior Legion will take its turn at hosting a baseball tournament.

The fourth annual SEMO Bank `A' Junior American Legion Tournament begins tonight and continues through Sunday afternoon. The six teams involved will all play each other in a round robin, with the top four teams advancing to the championship and third-place games Sunday.

"Playing all those games will be a test of the pitching staffs," said first-year SEMO Bank Junior Legion coach Steve Williams. "You can't just use one or two pitchers and that's what Jr. Legion baseball is all about. It's about developing kids for Sr. Legion and high school teams."

Cape and Chaffee will be the only local teams involved as they meet teams from Paducah (Ky.), Memphis (Tenn.), Imperial and Kirkwood. Chaffee is the defending tournament champion.

"The tournament looks awfully even," Williams said. "Paducah and (Memphis) CBC are good teams, Chaffee has a good squad, and we're starting to play better."

Williams called Imperial and Kirkwood "wild cards" in the tourney field because he hadn't heard much about the two St. Louis area teams as of Tuesday night. Williams thinks Paducah and Memphis CBC look like the teams to beat.

Paducah swept a doubleheader from SEMO Bank earlier this season and CBC had a 9-5 record entering a doubleheader Tuesday night.

SEMO Bank and Chaffee get things started at Cape Central in the tournament's only game tonight at 5 p.m. Six games are scheduled Friday and Saturday with the contests being split between Cape Central and Notre Dame.

The final two round-robin games are set for Sunday at 1 p.m., with the top four teams advancing on for one more game at 3:15.

The championship game will be played at Cape Central with Notre Dame hosting the third-place game.

SEMO BANK TOURNEY

Junior Legion Tournament

Today's Games

at Cape Central

5 p.m. -- Cape SEMO Bank vs. Chaffee

Friday's Games

at Cape Central

noon -- Cape SEMO Bank vs. Paducah, Ky.

2:15 p.m. -- Cape SEMO Bank vs. Memphis CBC

4:30 p.m. -- Paducah vs. Memphis CBC

at Notre Dame

noon -- Chaffee vs. Imperial

2:15 p.m. -- Chaffee vs. Kirkwood

4:30 p.m. -- Imperial vs. Kirkwood

Saturday's Games

at Cape Central

11 a.m. -- Cape SEMO Bank vs. Kirkwood

1:30 p.m. -- Kirkwood vs. Paducah

4 p.m. -- Cape SEMO Bank vs. Imperial

at Notre Dame

11 a.m. -- Memphis CBC vs. Imperial

1:30 p.m. -- Chaffee vs. Memphis CBC

4 p.m. -- Chaffee vs. Paducah

Sunday's Games

at Cape Central

1 p.m. -- CBC vs. Kirkwood

3:15 p.m. -- championship game

at Notre Dame

1 p.m. -- Paducah vs. Imperial

3:15 p.m. -- third-place game