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DYB state tourney kicks off Saturday

• The state's best Dixie Youth Baseball teams converge on Albany this weekend for the annual state tournament.

Mike Flynn
Staff Correspondent

ALBANY — More than 500 people from all corners of Georgia will descend on Albany beginning Saturday as the Albany Dixie League plays host to the week-long 2007 Georgia State Dixie Youth Baseball Tournament.

“This will be a big impact on the city. All of these teams have to stay at hotels, eat out, and spend money right here in Albany,” tournament director Bruce Maples said. “Plus it should be some pretty good baseball.”

Adding to the excitement this weekend is the fact that two local teams — Albany International and Albany Dixie — will have a chance to square off against retired New York Yankee pitcher and coach of the North Macon team, Kevin Brown. And while it isn’t the Bronx, Brown’s team will face off against some quality squads in the double-elimination tournament. The league is comprised of  11- and 12-year-old players and each team, with the exception of the host, qualified for the event by winning or placing second in their respective district tournaments.

Play begins Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Deerfield-Windsor Lower School campus when Albany Dixie, led by coach Bo Murphy, squares off against Troup County American.

Brown’s North Macon team will play after that at noon against the Wrens team, followed by North Gwinett against Lumpkin and Grayson American against Newton County National.

Simultaneous games will be played at the Albany Dixie Field located behind the Barnesdale Library. Kicking off the first day will be Augusta Fleming against Newton County American followed by Grayson National against Troup County National. The Albany International team, coached by Clarence Johnson, will play their opening game at 2 p.m. against Taylor County. The final game of the day will be Winder versus Brookwood at 4 p.m. After a series of games between the teams during the course of the week, the championship team will represent Georgia at the Dixie League World Series in Madison Heights, Va., later this summer. The last team from Albany to win the State Tournament was the 1990 squad, which went on to win the World Series.

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