By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
You can pick almost any spot on the Arkansas map this weekend and probably find a youth baseball tournament.
Many of those include teams from Forrest City.
From pitching machine to Babe Ruth League, state tournaments open across the state tomorrow.
It's hard to know where to begin, so the best place would be with the Minor league or pitching machine teams.
The Ridge Runners team, comprised of players from Wynne and Forrest City, are headed to the seven-year-old World Series to be played in Sulphur, La.
The team is coached by Patrick Wilson of Wynne, Gary Akins and Tommy Hanner of Forrest City.
The Ridge Runners will begin pool play in the 'coach-pitch' tournament on Monday to qualify for the championship bracket round.
The team finished second last month at the Baseball Bash played at Forrest City's Sports Complex, losing to Judsonia in the finals.
The Ridge Runners won the state tournament played at Greenwood, losing to Sylvan Hills in the first game and then winning four straight games, including a rematch against Sylvan Hills in the championship game.
Scott Deere will take the Forrest City pitching machine All-Star team to Sylvan Hills this weekend to compete in the 6-7-year-old Cal Ripken State Tournament which this year fields 52 teams.
The Forrest City Travelers 10-year-old team will begin play in the USSSA AAA World series, Sunday at Southaven, which has 90-plus teams in the mix.
The Forrest City 11-year-old All-Stars will open play at the Cal Ripken State Tournament Friday at Maumelle when they face Russellville in the first game, set for 2 p.m.
A win brings Forrest City back at 6 p.m., Saturday while a loss brings the team back at 10 a.m., Saturday.
The team is being coached by Jim Bailey and Steve Roberts.
A year ago, as 10-year-olds, the team reached the finals of the District 7 Tournament, losing to Pine Bluff International and qualifying for the state tournament.
The 12-year-old Forrest City All-Stars won the District 7 Tournament title last week, defeating Pine Bluff Seabrook in the finals played at Pine Bluff. That victory sends the team into the 12-year-old Cal Ripken state tournament as a top seed.
They will play Little Rock Junior Deputy Friday, July 11, at 3:15 p.m., at Marion. A first-round win gives the team a bye into Sunday's round.
The team, coached by Randy Pearson, Jim Machen and Terry Laws, has six players who have been together for the past three years.
Chance Pearson, Barrett Beshears, Seth Smith, Mark Machen, Jared Northcutt and Findley Scott Laws form the nucleus of the team which also include Markese Ware, Evan Daugherty, Lee Smith, Jacoby Cooley, Hunter McMahand, Quinn Powell, Jerome McDaniel And Nathan Jefferson.
As 11's a year ago, the team finished 1-2 at the state tournament played at El Dorado.
The 13-year-old Forrest City All-Stars, finished second Tuesday at the District 7 Tournament at Marion, losing to Pine Bluff in the "if" game of the finals but were given the state tournament berth when Pine Bluff opted not to make the trip.
The 13s play Friday at 5:30 p.m., at Monticello against Vilonia.