If You Go
What: Cal Ripken 12-year-old state tournament
When: Wednesday July 16- Saturday July 19 (Darlinton vs. Superior 3:30 p.m. today)
Where: Sieg Field and Riverside Park
DARLINGTON - The baseball buzz has hit southern Wisconsin with Darlington set to host its first Cal Ripken 12-year-old state tournament.
The double elimination tournament begins today and runs through Saturday. Scott Heinberg, state tournament director and Darlington's youth baseball commissioner, relishes the chance to showcase Sieg Field.
"It's kind of like playing in the Major Leagues," Heinberg said. "It's just like a little Major League park. It's probably the best Little League park in the Midwest. The entire town is fired up about it (the state tournament)."
Darlington will open the state tournament with a first round game against Superior at 3:30 p.m. today.
"If we don't beat ourselves, we can play with any team," Darlington coach Steve Carpenter said. "Hopefully, we can be competitive in the state tournament. I know we will hit some stiff competition."
Sieg Field features a big electronic scoreboard and in-ground dugouts. Some of the same architects who designed Camden Yards in Baltimore helped design Sieg Field.
The field is named after Kurt Siegenthaler, who played baseball at Darlington High School and football at the University of Wisconsin. He died of cancer.
The Siegenthaler Foundation formed and spearheaded a project to build Sieg Field.
"We have nice Kentucky bluegrass," Heinberg said. "The word keeps getting out how great Sieg Field is to play on."
Darlington is in its first year of the Cal Ripken Dane County league. Heinberg made a presentation to host the state tournament at a Babe Ruth fall meeting in Wisconsin Rapids.
The 15-team state tournament field will boost businesses in Darlington. Three teams will stay in the new Super 8 Hotel which opened Fourth of July weekend.
Heinberg said the biggest challenge is getting all the games in without rain.
It was just a month ago that Sieg Field was under 4 feet of water after the Pecatonica River flooded. Volunteers worked to clean up two layers of mud caked to the infield grass, planted new grass in one corner of the field and replaced surface on the warning track in the outfield.
"It's an opportunity to meet kids from all over the state and hopefully make some friends they will remember," Carpenter said.
The double elimination tournament begins today and runs through Saturday. Scott Heinberg, state tournament director and Darlington's youth baseball commissioner, relishes the chance to showcase Sieg Field.
"It's kind of like playing in the Major Leagues," Heinberg said. "It's just like a little Major League park. It's probably the best Little League park in the Midwest. The entire town is fired up about it (the state tournament)."
Darlington will open the state tournament with a first round game against Superior at 3:30 p.m. today.
"If we don't beat ourselves, we can play with any team," Darlington coach Steve Carpenter said. "Hopefully, we can be competitive in the state tournament. I know we will hit some stiff competition."
Sieg Field features a big electronic scoreboard and in-ground dugouts. Some of the same architects who designed Camden Yards in Baltimore helped design Sieg Field.
The field is named after Kurt Siegenthaler, who played baseball at Darlington High School and football at the University of Wisconsin. He died of cancer.
The Siegenthaler Foundation formed and spearheaded a project to build Sieg Field.
"We have nice Kentucky bluegrass," Heinberg said. "The word keeps getting out how great Sieg Field is to play on."
Darlington is in its first year of the Cal Ripken Dane County league. Heinberg made a presentation to host the state tournament at a Babe Ruth fall meeting in Wisconsin Rapids.
The 15-team state tournament field will boost businesses in Darlington. Three teams will stay in the new Super 8 Hotel which opened Fourth of July weekend.
Heinberg said the biggest challenge is getting all the games in without rain.
It was just a month ago that Sieg Field was under 4 feet of water after the Pecatonica River flooded. Volunteers worked to clean up two layers of mud caked to the infield grass, planted new grass in one corner of the field and replaced surface on the warning track in the outfield.
"It's an opportunity to meet kids from all over the state and hopefully make some friends they will remember," Carpenter said.
