News Editor

While others are enjoying weekend of fun and sun at the beach, the players of the Troy Junior Legion Post 70 and Troy Senior Legion Post 70 will, too, be at the beach, but they won’t be working on a tan.

The Junior Legion and Senior Legion will head to Panama City today for the Bay County Amateur Baseball Summer Baseball Classic tournament.

"We’re planning on getting a practice in this afternoon," Russ Jinright, head coach of the Junior Legion said Thursday. "Then both teams will be heading out at about 8 a.m. tomorrow."

Between games and practicing, Jinright believes his team is ready for the tournament.

"We’ve been trying to hold off on using some of our better pitchers too much this week so they will be ready for the tournament," he said.

Six teams will be competing in each division for a chance at the tournament championship. Teams in the Junior Division include teams from Rutherford High School in Springfield, Fla., Bay County, Fla. Post 375, Troy Junior Legion Post 70, the Sluggers of Cincinnati, Ohio, Riverdale High School of Murphreesboro, Tenn., and the New Georgia Seminoles of Villa Rica.

The Troy Junior Legion begins play at 1 p.m. today against the New Georgia Seminoles at Rutherford High School, and again at 6:30 p.m. against Riverdale High School at Gulf Coast Community College. On Saturday, the Troy Junior Legion team will resume action against Rutherford High School at 10:30 a.m. at RHS and again at 6:30 p.m. against Bay County Florida Post 375 at GCCC. If necessary a championship game will be played on Sunday at Rutherford High School at noon for undefeated teams.

Jinright said he has some strong hitters on the team that will be beneficial during the tournament. Topping the batting average list are: Justin Sims (.476), Tyson Pugh (.421), David Doty (.417), Luke Sanders (.391), Drew Kilpatrick (.385), Wesley Wright (.382), Clint Pugh (.355) Daniel Porter (.333) and Matthew Johnson (.300).

The Troy Junior Legion team will go into the tournament with a 10-5 record.

The Troy Senior Legion is also facing six teams in the weekend tournament. Teams included in the tournament are teams from Crowley, La. Post 15, Henry County, Ga. Pirates, Troy Senior Post 70, Florence, AL Post 11, Lewisburg, Tenn. Senior Babe Ruth and Bay County Fla. Post 375.

Today the Troy Senior Legion will face Bay County, Fla. Post 375 at 1:30 p.m. at GCCC. The Troy Senior Legion team will play again at 11 a.m. Saturday against the Senior Babe Ruth team from Lewisburg, Tenn. At GCCC, and will face Crowley, Fla, Post 15 at 4 p.m.

On Sunday Troy will face the Pirates of Henry County, Ga. at 8 a.m. at GCCC.

Rutherford High School is located at 1000 School Ave. and 11th Street in Springfield, and Gulf coast Community College is located at 5230 W. Highway 98 in Panama City.