Over the next two days, some of the best baseball teams in the state of Alabama will converge on Troy to take part in the Terry Sikes Memorial Tournament.

The tournament is namd in honor of former Charles Henderson head coach Terry Sikes. Sikes served as the head coach of the Trojans for several years during the 1990s, and the tournament holds a special place in the current teams’ heart.

“This tournament means a lot to our guys and for the entire city and community,” said Charles Henderson head coach Derek Irons. “We just need to play good baseball. With the caliber of teams that will be here, the margin for error is a little big smaller. If we compete and play hard for all four games we play, we feel that we are going to be a better team at the end of the week, regardless if we are 4-0, 0-4 or somewhere in between.”

Charles Henderson will welcome in Walker, Southside, Dothan, Northview, Baldwin County, Northridge and Eufuala to Troy. The tournament will take place at Charles Henderson’s home, Frazier Field at Hogan’s Hole, as well as Riddle-Pace Field on the campus of Troy University.

Irons feels the attraction of the two stadiums helps the tournament draw in some of the best teams in the state.

“The university facility is second to none,” Irons said. “We are luck to be able to use their awesome field a couple of times a year. You combined that with our place, which we feel offers an atmosphere unlike any other in the state, it makes for two great venues for baseball. We hope the teams enkoy their time, and the fans get to see good baseball.”

Charles Henderson fell to Opp in the first game of a double header on Tuesday, handing the Trojans their first loss off the season. Irons isn’t concerned with the loss, he is more interested in what his team does over the next few weeks.

“It’s just baseball,” said Irons. “I am more concerned with how we respond that us losing. I liked what I saw in the second game the other night, and hope we are able to keep it going.

Charles Henderson will play at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Riddle-Pace Field on Friday. Tournament passes are $20 and can be purchased at the gate of each venue.