GREENVILLE – Greenville Citizens Baseball League (GCBL) competed its 36th Annual Annie Oakley Classic weekend baseball tournament but not without adjusting the schedule due to heavy Saturday rains.
The annual three day tournament hosted 40 teams including 8U, 9U, 10U, 12U and 14U divisions under the direction of GCBL Commissioner Ron Kerg, Vice Commissioner TJ Powers and Tournament Director Keith Heidrich.
“Awesome tournament again,” said Kerg. “Great people, great field maintenance, we got out here early, sucked the water off Saturday night, raked them out, got everything done. It says a lot about our community and our organization.”
“It’s definitely my worst nightmare but once again we have the crew, we have the guys with the experience and all the help in the world from these guys,” Keidrich said of the Saturday rains.
“It’s about the kids, getting out here and getting the stuff in so the kids can play,” added Kerg. “It’s the last tournament of the year so it was real important we got this in so they could play.”
The Annie Oakley Tournament is a REC tournament only and does not include select summer baseball teams.
“Select ball is more of a pay, you don’t have a home field,” Kerg stated. “All of our kids are from our organization and that’s what makes it great, makes us who we are and it’s the people that put the time in.”
Kerg and Heidrich took time to thank the many GCBL volunteers that not only made the Annie Oakley Tournament a success but the entire 2023 season successful.
“We are nothing without the volunteers that come out here,” said Kerg. “We have people whose kids have been out of the program for years and they come here and help us cook and help us cover.”
“A lot of things happen with REC ball and the world has become more of a select ball program but with REC ball, this program is a class act,” Kerg added. “I’ll put it up against anybody.”
