2024 Babe Ruth Baseball 14 Year Old World Series Underway at Eagle Pass, Texas
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2024
The City of Eagle Pass, Texas and the Eagle Pass Youth Baseball and Softball Association opened the 2024 Babe Ruth Baseball 14 Year Old World Series at the Patsy Winn Sports Complex with a beautiful grand opening ceremony held on Friday, August 9, 2024 with all 16 teams participating in the tournament marching onto the Patsy Winn “Field of Dreams” with the thrill of winning the coveted World Series Championship on their minds.
The 16 teams participating in the 2024 Babe Ruth Baseball 14 Year Old World Series at Eagle Pass, Texas include Aruba, Alabama Raw Dogs, Australia, Braintree, Massachusetts, Canada, Del Rio, Texas, Eagle Pass, Texas, East Central, Colorado, Janesville, Wisconsin, Keene, New Hampshire, Key West, Florida, Lakeridge, Oregon, Monterrey, Mexico, Torrance, California, and Tri-County, Maine.
Babe Ruth Baseball New England Regional Commissioner and International Board of Director of Babe Ruth Baseball, Inc., Barry Jordan of Sebago, Maine, is the World Series Director of the 2024 Babe Ruth Baseball 14 Year Old World Series at Eagle Pass, Texas.
The grand opening ceremony on August 9, 2024 featured the parade of the 16 teams accompanied by their Eagle Pass Goodwill Ambassador, the United States Joint Customs and Border Protection and Border Patrol Color Guard Team posting the colors followed by the national anthem sung by Jessica Kowalski-Cavazos, a welcoming speech by World Series Director Barry Jordan, the dedication of the World Series in memory of philanthropists Patsy and C. C. Winn by Catrina Purcell-Longoria, a message from tournament co-sponsor Morris Libson, Jr. of Eagle Pass Youth Baseball and Softball Association, and the first ceremonial pitch thrown by Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr., and recital of the Babe Ruth Baseball pledge. A flyover by the U. S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter pilot out of Comstock, Texas greeted the players, coaches, and guests to the World Series. Eagle Pass Marketing and Public Relations Director Aide Castano was Mistress of Ceremonies at the grand opening ceremony.
The 16 teams participated in Pool Play for three days from August 10-12, 2024 before commencing Championship Bracket Play on Tuesday, August 13th. The Championship Bracket Play continues until Saturday, August 17th, when the third place game will be played at 2 p.m. and the World Series Championship at 7 p.m. at the Patsy Winn Sports Complex Field No. 1 between the two top teams.
As of press time on Thursday, August 15th, at 7 a.m., the following 12 teams remain competing in the tournament within the Championship Bracket Play with scheduled games on August 15th as follows: Lakeridge, Oregon versus Del Rio, Texas at 9 a.m. at Field No. 1; Canada versus Torrance, California at 11:30 a.m. at Field No. 1; Tri-County, Maine versus Aruba at11:30 a.m. at Field No. 2; Alabama Raw Dogs versus Janesville, Wisconsin at 2 p.m. at Field No. 1; Eagle Pass, Texas versus Monterrey, Mexico at 4:30 p.m. at Field No. 1; and Altoona, Pennsylvania versus Key West, Florida at 7 p.m. at Field No. 1. One of these 12 remaining teams will most definitely be crowned World Series Champion on Saturday, August 17th.
Each of the 16 teams participating in the World Series have been assigned an Eagle Pass Goodwill Ambassador as their host during their stay and play at the tournament, including a luncheon or dinner sponsored by their Goodwill Ambassador. The teams have been to local sight seeing tours of Eagle Pass and its sister city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico during the tournament. The weather had been cooperative with dry climate, but the scorching heat in South Texas has risen to as high as 105 during the tournament. The City of Eagle Pass Fire Department and Police Department have assisted with providing cooling stations for players and fans alike at the tournament, ensuring that everyone stays hydrated and drinks plenty of water or liquids.
The Eagle Pass and surrounding areas, including Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, baseball aficionados are cordially invited to come out to the 2024 Babe Ruth Baseball 14 Year Old World Series at the Patsy Winn Sports Complex in Eagle Pass, Texas during the remaining three days of the tournament, culminating with the Championship game on Saturday, August 17th, at 7 p.m. at Field No. 1.
