Meridian ready for regional Meridian ready for regional

By By Austin Bishop
EMG regional sports director
After weeks of preparation, Meridian is just days away from hosting the 14-year-old Babe Ruth Southwest Regional Baseball Tournament.
"This really gives us a chance to show off our community," said assistant tournament director Rob Bullock. "A lot of work has gone into this, now it's time to play baseball."
The nine-team, double-elimination tournament begins at 11 a.m. on Thursday with the first of four games for that day, with the opening ceremonies set to take place before the 8 p.m. game between host Meridian and Lumberton, the Mississippi State Tournament Champion.
"We are really looking for a lot of good support," Bullock said. "We need some big crowds." He said that Meridian is hoping to be the host for a World Series event at some age level in the future.
"With the new complex being built at the Q.V. Sykes Recreational Park we will have the fields necessary to have an event of that level in the older age groups," he said.
Bullock also pointed out that the facilities at MCC will leave the visitors will a positive image.
"Everybody was very complimentary last year when we hosted the State Tournament," he said.
Dan Derrington is the director of the tournament that is set to host four games each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and two each on Monday and Tuesday.
If a winner is not decided on Tuesday night, then the championship game will be played on Wednesday.
Three teams from Texas, two from Arkansas, one each from Mississippi, Louisiana and Oklahoma and the host Meridian team make up the tournament.
A banquet, featuring former Mississippi State standout Will Clark, is set for Thursday night at the Frank Cochran Center.
Single-day admission to the tournament is $5 per person while a tournament pass, good for all six days of action, will be sold for $12.