The Dixie Youth State Pitching Machine Tournament for 7 and 8-year-old all-star boys starts at 5 p.m. Thursday and run through Sunday. The games will be at the DeRidder youth baseball fields.

“It’s exciting,” Tournament director Dana Galloway said. “Come out and support DeRidder and come out and support the teams.

“It’s a pretty big deal 24 teams coming. It’s a lot of baseball if you like baseball.”

On Thursday, there will be three sets of games at all four fields at 5, 6:15 and 7:30 p.m.

On Friday, the first game will start at 9 a.m. and the last game will start at 5:45 p.m.

On Saturday, games again start at 9 a.m. Saturday and the last pool play game will be at 12:45 p.m. Saturday.

At 6 p.m. Saturday, all winners of each bracket plays each other start double elimination.
On Sunday games are at 11 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 2 p.m. The finals are at 2 p.m.

Teams in the tournament include DeRidder, Oberlin, Sheveport, West Monroe North, Concordia, Tioga, Vernon American, Morgan City, Alexandria Nationals, Alexandria American, West Monroe East, Ruston, Ville Platte, Rayville, Nola Nationals, Thibodaux, Haughton, Moss Bluff Americans, Bossier, St. Mary’s Central, Moss Bluff National, Pineville and Morehouse.

Some of the games tentatively schedule for DeRidder are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against Concordia and at 10:15 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. Saturday.

To find out more about the tournament the link www.deridderdixieyouth.com will lead one to the tournament Web site where updates are expected.