Manassas Journal Messenger | Manassas team headed to Cal Ripken World Series

After winning the Virginia Babe Ruth 10-year old tournament, the team from Greater Manassas Baseball League now knows who it will face in the Cal Ripken World Series.

And though they won’t have to travel far — relatively speaking — their opponent will. The tournament is set to begin at James City County District Sports Complex in Williamsburg on Saturday. GMBL will play a team from Waite Park, Minn., in their first game.

In all, 10 teams will play in the tournament, including GMBL and a team from Williamsburg. Besides Waite Park, there will be teams from Jupiter, Fla.; East Wenatchee, Wash.; Little Rock, Ark.; Bakersfield, Calif.; Norton, Mass.; Lexington, Ky.; and Mt. Laurel, N.J.

Lexington and Mt. Laurel won’t be playing on the tournament’s first day; instead, they’ll wait for winners from two other games. If GMBL beats Waite Park in their opener, they’ll face the winner of Lexington and either Jupiter or East Wenatchee.

Teams are scheduled to arrive on Thursday. The tournament is double-elimination, and is scheduled to conclude on Saturday, Aug. 9.

GMBL won the Virginia state tournament at Fisherville Cal Ripken Complex by working through the loser’s bracket. After winning their opener against Southern, they fell to Glen Allen 6-1.

In the loser’s bracket, GMBL knocked out Greene County, Herndon and Staunton — whose district hosted the tournament — before a rematch in the finals with Glen Allen. On their second try with a championship on the line, they defeated Glen Allen 6-0.

RECORD-TYING YEAR IN CLARK GRIFFITH

By winning the second half of the Clark Griffith League season, the Arlington Senators didn’t need a playoff to claim their title — they won the first half too.

This year’s win was the fifth championship for Arlington. Their 33 wins sets a record sets a record in the wood-bat era — breaking the old record of 1997 Prince William Gators, who finished that season 32-8.

The Senators now travel to Johnstown, Pa., for the All-American Amateur Baseball Association tournament. The AAABA hosts five leagues in New York, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania and is affiliated with several more leagues throughout the eastern half of the country.

Teams near Brooklyn, Chicago, New Orleans and Columbus, Ohio, will participate in the AAABA tournament, which begins on Aug. 4.

Brian Hunsicker covers summer baseball for the Potomac News & Manassas Journal Messenger. Reach him at (703) 878-8048.