The Selma Times-Journal

Wetumpka’s loss has become Selma’s gain.

The 2008 Dixie Majors and Pre-Majors District IV tournaments begin on Friday at Bloch Park.

The tournaments were supposed to be held in Wetumpka, but the city’s field renovation required the tournament to be relocated.

“The last time we hosted the state tournament, the Chamber of Commerce did a study on it,” said Elton Reese, director of Selma Parks and Recreation. “It was said to have brought in around half a million dollars over four days for the city. We’ve hosted a number of district tournaments. Two years ago, we hosted the Dixie Boys sub-state and state tournaments, and we hosted a World Series in 1982.”

The tournaments are split into two age groups. Dixie Majors players are 17 to 19-years-old, and Dixie Pre-Majors teams are 15 to 16-years-old.

The Majors tournament will use a best-of-three format as Selma and Prattville are the only two participating teams. Pre-Majors will follow a round-robin format between Selma, Prattville and Wetumpka.

Prattville and Selma will open the Pre-Majors tournament on Friday at 4:15 p.m. Game two of will pit Selma against Wetumpka at 1 p.m. Wetumpka and Prattville will finish the day’s action at 6:30 p.m.

The Majors tournament begins Friday at 7 p.m. when Selma and Prattville meet. The tournament’s winner could be determined in Saturday’s 3:45 p.m. game. Should the teams split the first two, the third and deciding game will be played Sunday at 1 p.m.