Sports Writer

One of the premiere local spring sports spectacles will be taking place this weekend when the Troy Parks and Recreation Department

holds the annual Trojan Classic Invitational Fast Pitch Softball Tournament. The tournament begins tonight at 6:30 p.m. and will conclude Saturday evening with the championship game. All contests will be played at the Troy SportsPlex.

As many as 17 of the best high school fast pitch softball teams in Alabama along with powerful Brentwood Academy of Nashville, Tenn. will make up the 18-team tournament field.

The tournament, which is hosted by Charles Henderson High School, will have a unique format starting with pool play involving five groups of teams Friday night and Saturday morning. Each team will have two games of pool play with the results determining the seeding for everyone in the single elimination tournament which starts early Saturday afternoon. Regardless of the outcome, each team will be guaranteed at least three games.

In addition, the Goshen High School Lady Eagles (1-3) will be in the CHHS Invitational for the first time ever as they continue its voyage into their first year of fast pitch. The Lady Eagles along with the Lady Trojans come into the tournament following a week long layoff due to Exit Exams.

In Pool A on Field 7, Goshen will open up action hosting Northview at 6:30 p.m. followed by Eufaula against Stanhope Elmore at 8 p.m. The winners of the two games will meet Saturday at 9 a.m. with the losers set to play at 10:30 a.m.

The Lady Trojans will be in Pool B on Friday night at Field 8 facing Holtville at 8 p.m. with Opelika and Wetumpka consisting of the other game. The winners will face off against one another at 9 a.m. while the losers play at 10:30 a.m.

In Pool C Friday at 6:30 p.m. on Field 6, Theodore will tangle with Enterprise while ’00 5A runner-up Mortimer Jordan will take on Brentwood Academy at 8 p.m. The winners will face off at 9 a.m. while the losers play at 10:30 a.m.

Pool D will have Central facing Trinity at 6:30 p.m. in the opening game. The Lady Wildcats will immediately return to action at 8 p.m. against Tallassee, while Tallassee plays the lone morning game of the pool at 9 a.m. against Central.

All the games with Pool E will be played on Friday night. At 5 p.m., Carroll-Ozark will face Catholic at 5 p.m. on Field 4. The Lady Eagles will turn around at 6:30 p.m. and face Dothan, who defeated CHHS last weekend to claim the Carroll High School Tournament Championship. At 8 p.m. the Lady Tigers will wrap up pool play against Catholic.

Junior Varsity will also hold tournament: The CHHS junior varsity squad

will hold a round robin tournament Saturday morning, with all games to be played on Field 4.

There will be a coin toss for home team before each game. The tie breaker will be the total number of runs scored throughout the tournament.

The Lady Trojans will be involved with Central, Enterprise and Wetumpka. The Lady Trojans will play at 9 a.m. against Central and at noon facing Enterprise. The junior varsity will close out the day at 4:30 p.m. against Wetumpka.