Batter up! Virginia state tournament kicks off today

The microphone called the host team and they waltzed in to a chorus of cheers and the flashing lights of a mini-paparazzi made up of mostly moms and dads.

Loudoun South, like the other 15 little league baseball teams they’re hosting, sat around two of dozens of tables, the last people to fill a wide open hall full of uniformed 11-12 year olds, managers and parents. Teams sat at two tables apiece toward the front, clad in colors from sky blue to navy to Nationals red. The pro team’s mascot, Screech, pranced and clapped on the small platform at the front of the hall, though no one paid much attention. Perhaps they had other, more important things on their mind; say, the tournament that was just over 12 hours away. Or, maybe the gift bags at the center of each table were enough to grab their attention.

The room  hummed with the excited chatter of around 650 athletes and parents throughout brief speeches, although no one missed the call to food- hot dogs, hamburgers and fries; a fitting way to kick off a baseball tournament.

The crowd ate their fill and filed out soon after, getting back to their hotels or homes for a good night’s rest before the first day of the Little League World Series Virginia State Tournament.

Pool play starts today at 10 a.m. and goes through Sunday evening. Monday starts bracket play, which is set to end with the championship match-up on Wednesday, July 27 at 7:30 p.m. All games will take place at Freedom Park in Leesburg.

Extreme heat may play a role in game times for this tournament as temperatures and humidity levels are supposed to reach heights not seen in years. If conditions are deemed too dangerous to play, games will be suspended, not canceled.

The official tournament Twitter handle will dish out constant updates during the coming week. If you want updates, follow them @vadist16. The Twitter feed is also posted on their website, which will be updated throughout the tournament as well.

Northern Virginia Magazine’s Buzz Bin blog will also keep you up-to-date on the Northern Virginia teams; Loudoun South, West Springfield American, Reston National, and SYA East (representing Clifton and Centreville). In addition, we’ll run some ‘mini-profiles’ on some of the athletes representing the northern portion of the state.

- Colin Daileda