Umatilla Babe Ruth All Star Team Off To State Tournament

    The Umatilla Babe Ruth All Stars 16 and under team is off to the state tournament this week, heading to Sarasota for what could be four days of play leading to a trip to the national tournament. The team will face off against nine squads from around the state, each of which qualified after success at the regional level.
   “We’re excited,” said team head coach Brent Harden this week. On Saturday, the team was at Carter’s ACE Hardware in Umatilla conducting a fundraiser to help offset expenses associated with staying in Sarasota for the tournament. “It will be interesting to see how we do.”
   Harden said the team, made up of Umatilla Babe Ruth players who play regular season games at the North Lake Regional Park, has the ability to make a strong run in the tournament given strong pitching options.
   “We have a lot of pitchers,” Harden said. “We could do good.”
   Umatilla will play its first game at 1 p.m. on Thursday against the winner of a morning contest between Bartow and Sarasota. Should Umatilla advance to the tournament finals, they will be in action on Sunday, first pitch time dependent on Umatilla's status coming out of the winner's or loser's bracket in the double-elimination tournament.
   Other teams in the tournament include squads from Lakeland, Lutz, Northwest Florida, Phipps Park, San Carlos, and Winter Park.