This weekend, Pike Liberal Arts School will host the 21st Annual Jonah McWaters Baseball and Softball Tournament. 

The tournaments, hosted annually by Pike, are in honor of former Pike Lib baseball player Jonah McWaters, who was badly injured in a car wreck in 2004 that ended his baseball career. McWaters has been a longtime employee of Troy Parks and Recreation for a number of years. 

“I loved it, it was the sport I loved the most, and it’s awesome that they’re still doing it,” McWaters previously said of the tournament being named in his honor. “Having something named after you maybe lets you know you left an impact on people. You don’t really know what you’re doing, you’re just living life and sometimes don’t realize the impact you’ve had. For Coach Butch to name a tournament after me was really awesome and that they’re still doing it means a lot.”  

This year’s baseball tournament will be held Feb. 27 through March 1 at Butch Austin Field on the campus of Pike Liberal Arts School. Things will kick off at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon as Charles Henderson faces off against Park Crossing and then Pike Lib battles Geneva at 7 p.m. 

The second day of action will start on Feb. 28 at 11 a.m. with Charles Henderson playing Opelika followed by Opelika vs. Park Crossing at 1:30 p.m. Geneva and Dothan play at 4 p.m. and then Dothan faces Pike at 6:30 p.m. 

Seeding for the tournament is based on wins, runs allowed and runs scored in that order followed by a coin flip, if necessary. On march 1, the No. 6 seeded team will play the No. 3 seed at 9 a.m. followed by the five seed facing the four seed at 11:30 a.m. The winner of the 9 a.m. game will play the top seed at 2 p.m. and the winner of the 11:30 a.m. contest will play the No. 2 seed at 4:30 p.m. with the championship game held at 7 p.m. 

The softball tournament will also be held Feb. 28 through March 1 at the Pike Lib Softball Field. On Friday, Brantley plays Lee-Scott at 2:30 p.m. followed by Pike Lib vs. Lee-Scott at 4 p.m. and Brantley vs. Pike Lib at 5:30 p.m. On March 1, the No. 2 seed will play the No. 3 seed at noon and the No. 1 seed will face the winner of that game in the championship at 1:45 p.m.