Are we ready for some baseball?

    It’s been a community effort.
    Hosting a state baseball tournament is a huge task, especially with about four months to prepare for it.
    But Carl Zuege, coordinator for the Class C State Jr. Legion Baseball Tournament hosted by Imperial, said it all came together because of the Imperial community.
    “We are ready,” he said Tuesday night.
    But that hasn’t come without a lot of donated hours and funds to do the Campbell field improvements, making it ready to host such a big event.
    Several hundred people from out of town are expected here for the July 15-19 double elimination tournament.
    Committee member Carrie Terryberry, who is tracking donations, said close to $100,000 in community donations made the field improvements a reality, upgrading the field for the tourney that opens Saturday.
    That’s added to the $32,485 committed by the city of Imperial, she said.
    Pinnacle Bank purchased the new scoreboard that was to be installed Wednesday. The Imperial Lions and Rotary Clubs each provided funds for the new dugouts, he said.
    “Those groups saw it was a big deal to host the tourney,” he said.
    Sixty-five business and organization sponsors all have banners lining the outfield fence. That’s in addition to many individual sponsors who are listed in the program.
    That support overall has also added a warning track around the field, new fencing along the first and third baselines, newly painted pressbox and concession stand, new flagpole, new concrete in the batting cage and bleachers donated by the fair board.
    Zuege said the additional bleachers will provide seating for 300-plus.
    ALLO has also installed Wifi for access at the field. Passwords will be announced at the games and printed in the program, he said.
    Zuege said when Imperial was awarded the tourney in early March, “We spent a couple days looking at each other, asking ‘How do we do this?’”
    He got a group of baseball enthusiasts together “and just ran with it,” he said.
    “It’s a good thing we had such a short time because we just had to make decisions and do it.”
    There wasn’t a lot of committee discussion, he noted.
    He can’t say enough about the support from the community.
    “From my standpoint, I’ve just been blown away with the generosity of this community,” he said.
    “And, not just in dollars but with volunteers and helping out. I’m not sure that anyone we asked to do something said no,” he added.
    But Zuege knows Imperial is a special community.
    “They understand this is a big event for our community, but it’s also a great opportunity for our kids to have it here,” he said.
    As host, Imperial’s Jr. Legion team had an automatic berth in the state tournament.
    But, they didn’t need it.
    Imperial won the C7 Area Tournament July 7-10 in Hershey. Since Imperial had the automatic berth, C7 runner-up Valentine also qualified.
    There will be four games in Imperial both Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Games are scheduled each day through July 19.
    Announcing all of the games will be CCS Principal Chris Barr, who hosts a local radio show, and college student Emmitt Zuege, a broadcasting and communications major.
    All of Imperial’s tournament games will be broadcast on KADL 102.9 and on the JackFM app.
    People can also access a link with live bracket updates, parking map and for ordering gear at: https://reeveliz2023.wixsite.com/class-c-state-baseba.

Parking restrictions

    Parking for tournament games will be along the residential streets on West 6th and 7th and Grant, Douglas and Court Streets, except during Smokin’ on Broadway Saturday, when a block of 8th and Court Sts. will be closed. Parking will also be open at Adams Bank’s west lot and, on Sunday and after, at City Square. Free golf cart shuttles will be available to take fans to the field from where they park. Parking in the field’s north lot is only for handicap, elderly, vendors and concession workers. The south lot at the field is for teams and coaches.