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Global event: Colt World Series set to begin in Marion

MARION - This weekend marks the beginning of the PONY Colt League Baseball World Series at Rent One Park and local fans got a small taste of the action with a practice exhibition doubleheader at the stadium Monday night.

That's when the two local Colt teams, a Marion host team and a collection of Southern Illinois all-stars, played each other to preview the marquee event of the Protect Our Nation's Youth organization. Colt is the designation for age 16-and-under.

For the record, the Marion team won both games, 4-1 and 4-2.

Miners manager and chief operating officer Mike Pinto was a coach in PONY long before Rent One Park was even imagined. Pinto's current team, the city of Marion and the local tourism agency VisitSI are the main sponsors of the event.

Steve Miller, the longtime local PONY zone director, was in attendance along with Pinto on Monday night and both were visibly chomping to get things going - the fun begins Thursday with a banquet before games get rolling on Friday.

"We're really excited," Miller said. "This tournament has been in Lafayette, Indiana, for 48 of the last 49 years. I've ran that tournament for 20 years and spent a week there every year and it will be a lot nicer to spend that time here in Marion."

This will be the 65th year for the Colt World Series tournament. And when they say "world" series, they aren't kidding.

The first game of the 10-team tournament is Friday at 11 a.m. and features a team from Michigan playing a team from Puerto Rico, while the second has a squad from North Carolina playing a team from Seoul, Korea - the Korean team was already in the area Monday night.

The third game has host Marion playing Brownsville, Texas, at 4 p.m., followed by the Southern Illinois team playing the qualifier from Mexico. Jumping into the action on Saturday, when games start at 9 a.m., will be teams from California and the Netherlands (also known as Holland).

Those teams qualified from four geographic American regions: West, East, South and North Zones; and four international regions: Asia-Pacific, European, Mexican and Caribbean.

"It's going to be a great time," Miller said. "If people come out, they'll get to see a lot of good baseball."

Bracket play extends from Friday through Tuesday with the championship game on Wednesday (Aug. 8) at 7 p.m. In addition there will be a concert by recording artist Tegan Marie, a Champions League game for special needs athletes - and the Miners play the Evansville Otters on Tuesday night after two Colt games are played in the afternoon.

There will be at least 18 games of the double-elimination tournament. There will be four games Friday, Saturday and Sunday, two on Monday, two on Tuesday and between one and three on the final day.

Admission prices are $8 for a one-day ticket or fans can purchase a full-tournament pass for $25.

Miller said teams from the Zones far and wide have been excited about coming to Marion and Rent One Park in particular, which will serve as a significant upgrade in terms of facility from Lafayette.

"This brought in about $1.8 million to Lafayette the last three years, each year," Miller said. "If we can bring in that kind of money to the economy in our area, I'll be tickled to death. We've got the hotels full and the restaurants are looking forward to it.

"There's a lot of support behind it and we're just praying Mother Nature cooperates and we have a good tournament."

Riley Coffee Justin Walker Photo
Karsten Stotlar Justin Walker Photo
Brian Winters Justin Walker Photo
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Team Southern Illinois Justin Walker Photo
Nick Compton Justin Walker Photo
Nick Hunter and Ryan Trokey Justin Walker Photo
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Lucas Will Justin Walker Photo
Justin Massingale Justin Walker Photo