By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The Central States Senior League Baseball Regional Tournament in Peru, Ill. is scheduled to get under way on Saturday with a full slate of games.
Michigan champion Niles will be joined in Peru by Wisconsin's Germantown Little League, Minnesota's Greenway Little League, Kentucky's Mercer County Little League and Iowa's Ankeny American/National Little League.
Also competing will be Nebraska's Grand Island Little League, Ohio's Tuscarawas County Little League, Missouri's Carroll County Little League and the host team, LaSalle Little League of LaSalle, Ill.
The Illinois state champion is Elgin Continental Little League.
Niles will play at 5:30 p.m. (Michigan time) against the Missouri state champion, Carroll County on Veterans Field.
The Illinois state champion will take on Nebraska in the opening game at 3 p.m. at Washington Field. Also at 3 p.m., Ohio will take on Iowa at Veterans Field.
Also playing at 5:30 p.m. on Washington Field will be the state champions from Wisconsin and the host team.
In the final game of the night, at 8 p.m., Minnesota will face Kentucky at Washington Field.
Games will continue on Sunday beginning at 3 p.m.
Kentucky and Illinois will square off at Washington Field, while Nebraska and Ohio will meet at Veterans Field.
In the 5:30 p.m. games, Niles will face LaSalle National Little League at Washington Field. In the other game at Veterans Field, Minnesota will face Wisconsin.
In the late game at 8 p.m., Iowa Will square off with Missouri at Washington Field.
Action continues on Monday with five more contests.
Niles will play at 3 p.m. against the Ohio state champion at Washington Field, while Iowa will take on Illinois at Veterans Field.
In the 5:30 p.m. games, Wisconsin will face Missouri and Nebraska will face Kentucky.
The 8 p.m. game will match the host team against Minnesota.
Five more games on Tuesday will wrap up round robin play.
Kentucky and Iowa will play at Washington Field at 3 p.m., while Illinois and Ohio will play at Veterans Field.
At 5:30 p.m., Minnesota and Missouri will play at Washington Field with Niles and Wisconsin playing at Veterans Field.
The final game at 8 p.m. will have the host team taking on Nebraska.
The semifinals will be held on Wednesday at 5:45 p.m.
The fourth place team will face the first place team at Washington Field, while the second and third place teams will square off at Veterans Field.
The winners advance to the regional title game at 9 p.m. at Washington Field.
The Central States Regional champion will move on to the Senior League World Series, which will be held in Bangor, Maine Aug. 12-18.
The Niles team, which is managed by Bill Coar and coached by Russ Johnson and Jack Ort, consists of Justin Stroud, Will Coar, Tyler Knisely, Tyler Jackson, Andrew Brawley, Jesse McCombs, Dan Reidenbach, Kevin Gross, Dominique Pompey, Ricky Briand, Taylor Ort, Cody Udell, Corey Johnson and Anthony Gladden.
Niles captured the Michigan District 15 championship and then headed over to Blissfield to defeat the home team in three games for the sectional championship.
The All-Stars then captured the state title this past weekend in Macomb.
Niles went undefeated in pool play (3-0) and then defeated Petoskey in the championship game, 11-1 in six innings.
The opening ceremonies for the Central States Regional are scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m.
A home run derby is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.