By SCOTT NOVAK

Niles Daily Star

The Cal Ripken Ohio Valley Regional at Firemen’s Park will kick off six days of 11-year-old All-Star competition tonight with opening ceremonies.

Following the Ice Breaker dinner at 5 p.m. at the park, there will be a parade of champions beginning between 6 and 6:30 p.m.

Brandywine Cal Ripken President Jamie Stover will give a welcome speech, while Niles Township Treasurer and former league president Jim Ringler and former Detroit Tiger pitcher under Jim Leyland Jeff Jackowiak will also speak.

Following the Babe Ruth Sportsmanship Code and the National Anthem performed by Carol Hurt, there will be a homerun derby beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m.

All that will be followed up by fireworks.

The teams will get to work on Friday morning with South East Lexington, Ky. taking on Geneseo out of Illinois in the opening game of pool play at 10 a.m.

Springfield, Ohio will face Harris Township from Indiana at noon, while Homewood from Illinois and Germantown, Ky. will square off at 2 p.m.

The fourth game of the day, slated to begin at 4 p.m., will pit Newburgh, Ind. against Pleasant Prairie, Wis.

The final two games of the day will have the area teams in action.

Howard Township will face Schererville, Ind. at 6 p.m., while Brandywine will take on Whiteland, Ind. at 8 p.m.

Action begins again on Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m.

The single elimination portion of the tournament is scheduled to begin Monday at 11 a.m.

The tournament will wrap up on Tuesday with the semifinals and finals. The first semifinal game will begin at 3 p.m. The championship game is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Admission to the tournament is $7 per day for adults and $4 for children 6-17. An adult tournament pass is available for $20 and $10 for children 6-17.

Children under 5 are free.

Ohio Valley Regional

At Firemen’s Park

Friday

Game 1: South East Lexington vs. Geneseo, 10 a.m.

Game 2: Springfield vs. Harris Township, noon

Game 3: Homewood vs. Germantown, 2 p.m.

Game 4: Newburgh vs. Pleasant Prairie, 4 p.m.

Game 5: Schererville vs. Howard Township, 6 p.m.

Game 6: Whiteland vs. Brandywine, 8 p.m.

Saturday

Game 7: Homewood vs. Howard Township, 9 a.m.

Game 8: Springfield vs. Pleasant Prairie, 11 a.m.

Game 9: South East Lexington vs. Whiteland 1 p.m.

Game 10: Schererville vs. Germantown, 3 p.m.

Game 11: Newburgh vs. Harris Township, 5 p.m.

Game 12: Brandywine vs. Geneseo, 7 p.m.

Sunday

Game 13: Springfield vs. Newburgh, 9 a.m.

Game 14: Schererville vs. Homewood, 11 a.m.

Game 15: Whiteland vs. Geneseo, 1 p.m.

Game 16: Harris Township vs. Pleasant Prairie, 3 p.m.

Game 17: Germantown vs. Howard Township, 5 p.m.

Game 18: South East Lexington vs. Brandywine, 7 p.m.

Single elimination

Monday

Game 19: (8 vs 9), 11 a.m.

Game 20: (4 vs 5), 1 p.m.

Game 21: (3 vs 6), 3 p.m.

Game 22: (2 vs 7), 5 p.m.

Game 23: (1 vs 8), 7 p.m.

Tuesday July 27

Game 24: Winner Game 20 vs Winner Game 23, 3 p.m.

Game 25: Winner Game 21 vs Winner Game 22, 5 p.m.

Game 26: Winner Game 24 vs Winner Game 25, 8 p.m.

8-year-olds

Ohio Valley Regional

at Pepper Martin Park

(UF – Upper Field, LF – Lower Field)

4 p.m. – St. John-Gray vs. Schererville (UF)

L’Anse Creuse North vs. Griffith (LF)

5:30 p.m. – East End Mishawaka White vs. Harris – Gold (UF)

East End Mishawaka – 2 vs. Eastside – South Bend (LF)

7 p.m. – Howard B vs. St. John – Blue (UF)

Clinton Valley vs. Crown Point – White (LF)

8:30 p.m. – Harris – Black vs. Brandywine No. 2 (UF)

Howard A vs. Pikeville, Ky. (LF)

Friday, July 23

1 p.m. – Brandywine No. 1 vs. St. John – Gray (UF)

Crown Point – Red vs. L’Anse Creuse North (LF)

2:30 p.m. – Benton Harbor vs. East End Mishawaka White (UF)

East End Mishawaka – 2 vs. St. John – Blue (LF)

4 p.m. – Howard B vs. Eastside – South Bend (UF)

Clinton Valley vs. Harris – Gold (LF)

5:30 p.m. – Griffith vs. Brandywine No. 2 (UF)

Pikeville vs. Schererville (LF)

7 p.m. – East End Mishawaka – 2 vs. Howard B (UF)

L’Anse Creuse North vs. Harris – Black (LF)

8:30 p.m. – Crown Point – White vs. Benton Harbor (UF)

Brandywine No. 1 vs. Howard A (LF)

Saturday, July 24

10 a.m. – Eastside – South Bend vs. St. John – Blue (UF)

East End Mishawaka – White vs. Clinton Valley (LF)

11:30 a.m. – Griffith vs. Crown Point – Red (UF)

St. John – Gray vs. Pikeville (LF)

1 p.m. – Schererville vs. Howard A (UF)

Brandywine No. 2 vs. L’Anse Creuse North (LF)

2:30 p.m. – Harris – Gold vs. Crown Point – White (UF)

Howard B vs. East End Mishawaka – 2 (LF)

4 p.m. – St. John – Blue vs. Eastside – South Bend (UF)

Benton Harbor vs. Clinton Valley (LF)

5:30 p.m. – Harris – Black vs. Griffith (UF)

Brandywine No. 1 vs. Pikeville (LF)

7 p.m. – St. John – Gray vs. Howard A (UF)

Brandywine No. 2 vs. Crown Point – Red (LF)

8:30 p.m. – East End Mishawaka – White vs. Crown Point – White (UF)

Harris – Gold vs. Benton Harbor (LF)

Sunday, July 25

10 a.m. – Crown Point Red vs. Harris – Black (UF)

Schererville vs. Brandywine No. 1 (LF)

1 p.m. – No. 39 Seed 1 vs. Seed 16 (UF)

No. 40 Seed 8 vs. Seed 10 (LF)

2:30 p.m. – No. 41 Seed 4 vs. Seed 14 (UF)

No. 42 Seed 6 vs. Seed 12 (LF)

4 p.m. – No. 43 Seed 2 vs. Seed 15 (UF)

No. 44 Seed 7 vs. Seed 9 (LF)

5:30 p.m. – No. 45 Seed 3 vs. Seed 13 (UF)

No. 46 Seed 5 vs. Seed 11 (LF)

7 p.m – Winner No. 39 vs. Winner No. 40 (UF)

Winner No. 41 vs. Winner No. 42 (LF)

8:30 P.M. – Winner No. 43 vs. Winner No. 44 (UF)

Winner No. 45 vs. Winner No. 46 (LF)

Monday, July 26

(All games on Lower Field)

4 p.m. – Semifinals

5:30 p.m. – Semifinals

8:30 p.m. –  Championship Game