By BY BRUCE HIXON – sports editor
Just a few short weeks ago Brewton Babe Ruth League president Mike Perry along with Joey Shell were scrambling just to put an Advanced Babe Ruth League together for the Brewton area.
Not only were they able to put the league together, but they also helped land the Brewton area the association's biggest prize in Alabama.
Brewton has been chosen as the host for next month's Advanced Babe Ruth State Tournament.
The tournament, which runs from July 12-16, is expected to be played at both the T.R. Miller and W.S. Neal High School fields.
There will be two divisions of the tournament, one for 16-year-olds and the other for 16-18 year-olds. Both tournaments will use a double-elimination format.
District champions from Huntsville, Smiths Station, Talladega, Sylacauga, Mobile/Baldwin County, Covington County and Brewton/Escambia County areas will feed into the state tournament.
The Huntsville area has two districts that will feed into the state tournament. The Brewton/Escambia County area could also have two entries. Brewton is guaranteed a berth in the state tournament because it is the tournament host. If the district 7 tournament champion, which is where Brewton competes, is another team other than Brewton, that team will also compete in the state tournament.
The winner of the Alabama state tournament will advance to southeast regional competition, which will be held at Tarbor, N.C.
District 7 commissioner Murray Johnson said there are multiple factors the state considers when it awards a state tournament.
Johnson, who has been district 7 commissioner since 1978, said Brewton's long affiliation with Babe Ruth at the age 13-15 level also was a consideration.
Perry said hosting the state tournament was a financial gain for the area both ways.
While hosting a tournament such as this requires a lot of workers, most of the workers are already in place, Perry said.
Shell, who is the Brewton Advanced Babe Ruth League coordinator, said he has received nothing but positive feedback from the area.