Youth baseball: All-Stars set for tournament action

Tony Altobelli

After a very exciting Tournament of Champions schedule for both

Newport Beach and Costa Mesa little leagues, the attention now shifts to

the District 55 (NBLL) and 62 (CMNLL & CMALL) All-Star tournaments.

The festivities kick off Saturday at 10 a.m. when the Newport Beach

Little League AAA Division B All-Stars take on Laguna Beach A at 10 a.m.

at Gilleran Park in Mission Viejo.

That pack of 9- and 10-year-olds have a lot to live up to after last

year’s B All-Stars reached the District 55 quarterfinal, a first for any

AAA Division team.

On the north side of Mission Viejo, the NBLL Majors All-Stars

“National League” team will take on Laguna Niguel at 2 p.m. at Youth

Sports Park.

Should the Nationals prevail, they will take on the NBLL “American

League” squad at 5 p.m. on July 3 in a game which should have plenty of

fireworks.

The NBLL AAA A All-Stars will take on Trabuco B in the Area A bracket

at 1:30 p.m. at Gilleran Park. A win would push Newport to a July 7

contest at 9 a.m., while a loss would drop the team into the “second

chance” bracket, where they would play July 5 at 7:15 p.m., trying to

remain alive in the double elimination tournament.

Meanwhile, over in Costa Mesa, the CMALL Majors All-Stars will travel

to Westminster to take on Fountain Valley July 7 at 9 a.m., while the

CMNLL Majors All-Stars, led by two Tournament of Champions finalists from

the Marlins, P.J. Errington and Vinnie Valdez, play against host

Robinwood at noon.

The CMALL 9 & 10 All-Stars also play July 7 against host Westminster

at Johnson Intermediate, while CMNLL’s 9 & 10 All-Stars play at Robinwood

(behind Marina High) against Seaview. Both contests begin at noon.

The Newport Harbor Baseball Association Pony Division 13-year-old

All-Stars will play July 8 at Amerige Park in Fullerton against Placentia

at 10 a.m..

The CdM 13 All-Stars play Garden Grove at 12:30 p.m.

The Mustang Division (ages 9-10) and Bronco Division (ages 11-12)

All-Stars begin play July 11.