JUCO Series on tap in Junction
By Phil Sandoval
Post Independent Staff
Springtime and championship baseball. What’s a better way to spend Memorial Day weekend?
Especially when it’s so close and relatively inexpensive.
For the price of a tank of gas and a $7 all-day adult ticket, its worthwhile to make a trip to Grand Junction’s Suplizio Field to watch the some of the nation’s best young college baseball talent compete for a national title at the 47th annual Alpine Bank Junior College World Series.
Daily admission tickets for students, ages 6-21, are $6. Parking is free.
Action in the 10-team, week-long, double-elimination tournament starts at 9 a.m. Saturday with the first of four scheduled games that day.
This year’s field, which advanced from regional tournaments to Grand Junction, includes teams from Utah, Texas, Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Georgia, Iowa, West Virginia and Kansas.
Three tournament teams, including Dixie State College from St. George, Utah, are ranked among the top Division I junior college baseball teams nationally.
With the top five teams from the season-ending poll not advancing to the JUCO World Series, Dixie State (46-13), the 2004 Western District champion, is the highest-ranked team, at No. 6. The Rebels play in the final first-round game – a 7:30 p.m. contest on Sunday night against No. 12 Seward County (Kan.) Community College.
The opening weekend schedule shapes up as follows. At 9 a.m. Saturday No. 13 Meridian (Miss.) Community College, winner of the Southeastern District, faces Gulf Coast champion Pensacola (Fla.) Community College.
At noon, Indian Hills (Iowa) plays two-time JUCO champion Grayson County (Texas) College. Potomac State College of West Virginia squares off with Middle Georgia College at 3 p.m.
The Saturday slate concludes with a 7:30 contest pitting San Jacinto (Texas) College North against Seminole State (Okla.) College.
Along with the Dixie State-Seward County game, Sunday’s schedule features losers-out games at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
A new feature for JUCO fans is a live broadcast of all tournament games on the Internet at http://www.jucogj.org.
Individual day tickets are available at the Suplizio Field/Stocker Stadium box office. Tournament passes, $22 for adults and $17 for students ages 6-21, can be purchased at Grand Junction Safeway and City Market stores or at the Mesa Mall.Individual day tickets are available at the Suplizio Field/Stocker Stadium box office. Tournament passes, $22 for adults and $17 for students ages 6-21, can be purchased at Grand Junction Safeway and City Market stores or at the Mesa Mall.
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