Gaston County baseball tournament moving to Sims Park

GASTONIA - After losing its title sponsor, the Gaston County high school baseball tournament has gained two sponsors and a neutral site.

The annual spring tournament will take place at Sims Legion Park in April rather than at the field of a participating school. The Gaston Gazette and CaroMont Health signed on as sponsors, and Gastonia Parks and Recreation will provide the field preparation in a deal that has area coaches smiling.

"You've got to do it the one time to see how it works, but I think it's going to work out well for the coaches," Hunter Huss coach Terry Radford said.

By holding the tournament at Sims Legion Park, located on Marietta Street near I-85 in Gastonia, fans will have more parking and seating than they would at the high school parks, Radford said.

The larger venue will also provide the tournament a big-time feel, Radford said.

Most, if not all, tournament expenses will be underwritten by the two sponsors and the City of Gastonia Parks and Recreation Department.

The Gazette will provide trophies and promotion for the tournament. The newspaper will also host a coaches' luncheon prior to the tournament to set the pairings.

CaroMont Health will fund the umpires, baseballs and security. An exact sum for those expenses wasn't available.

Gastonia Parks and Recreation will provide the field, field preparation and materials, a coach hospitality area, scoreboard operator, game announcer, cleanup and a ticket gate worker. The Parks and Recreation Department will also promote the tournament on the City of Gastonia's Web site and through a televised city council meeting.

North Gaston, the host school for the upcoming tournament, will operate the concession stand and retain all profits from it. South Point would be the host school in 2010, followed by Ashbrook, Bessemer City, Cherryville, East Gaston, Forestview, Hunter Huss, North Gaston and South Point.

Revenue from ticket sales will be split evenly among the eight participating schools and the Gastonia Parks and Recreation Department.

The Charlotte Observer, which had sponsored the tournament since its 1987 inception, sent a letter to schools in October saying it could no longer back the event due to "the sluggish economy and an increasingly tight budget."

Under the new deal, the schools could be better off financially. After splitting the proceeds this past spring, the schools netted between $500 and $600 each, Radford said. But officials, security and trophies were paid with ticket revenue, and the schools provided their own baseballs. All those expenses will be financed by the sponsors this year.

But the best part for coaches? Not having to maintain a field for 12 games.

"It helps me a great deal with being able to focus on my team," said North Gaston coach Jesse Martin, who would have hosted the upcoming tournament.

"It's a year-by-year basis thing, but I think everybody will like it and it'll stay there (at Sims)."

You can reach Phillip Gardner at 704-869-1843.