National Youth Baseball Championships in Memphis

12 Teams Vie for Title Among Elite 12 Year Olds; An All-Star Game Is Added

Memphis, TN — Twelve of the best teams of talented 12 year olds from around the nation are preparing to meet for the sixth annual New Era National Youth Baseball Championships presented by Hotwire.com beginning Thursday, August 22, at the Gameday Baseball Complex in Memphis, Tennessee.

The tournament, founded in 2008 by Chicago White Sox co-owner and syndicated television sports pioneer Eddie Einhorn was created to give the 12 year olds who play by major league rules an opportunity to compete for a National Championship. Unlike Little League, these players compete on bigger fields with base stealing permitted, and more closely conform to the rules of college and pro baseball.

The championship will be decided on Aug. 26, and televised live by CBS Sports Network and streamed by MLB.com at 6 PM CST. In addition to the tournament, the New Era NYBC presented by Hotwire.com has also scheduled its first annual New Era NYBC All-Star Game to precede the Championship Game.  This game will match the best players from the 12 competing teams, against a roster of players from teams who failed to qualify for the tournament.

“The quality of play during these championships is incredible,” reports Leigh Fox, Oxford, MS native and President of Gameday Baseball.  “Baseball fans will see some unbelievable baseball at our award-winning facility when they join us at Gameday Fields.”

The All-Star Game, sponsored by MLB.com, will be played at 2 PM on the 26th, prior to the Championship Game.  It will be presented on CBS Sports Network and streamed on MLB.com, as well as two quarter finals on Aug. 24, and both semi-finals on Aug. 25.  Announcers are Dave Raymond, former general manager Jim Duquette, and former MLB players Jeff Nelson and C.J. Nitkowski.

The 12 teams that qualified for this year’s New Era NYBC either won their organization’s World Series or one of 7 regional play-in tournaments. One at-large berth was awarded by the NYBC executive committee.  The teams represent the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), the National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF), the Super Series Baseball of America, and the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA).

This year’s field:

Team MVP/Florida

Diamond Stealth/Connecticut

Houston Banditos/Texas

LIDS Indiana Bulls/Indiana

Lamorinda Spartans/California

EM Majors/Arkansas

Diamond MVP/California

Connecticut Capitals/Connecticut

TC Nationals Force/Texas

SY Titans/California

BPA DeMarini/California

Ohio Prospects/Ohio

As described on the MLB.com website,

“Basically, there are two types of youth baseball. There’s Little League, and then there’s Select Baseball. Little League is all about equal opportunity; every kid plays, and priority No. 1 is fun. Select Baseball is all about winning; there are tryouts, high-end tournaments and intense competition from some of the best, most distinguished young players in the country.”

The teams in this tournament typically play 75-120 games a year, an intense program that really develops fundamentals.  Although the players may be five or six years from college, area recruiters and even some pro scouts are generally on hand to see the coming generation of elite talent.

By adding the first annual NYBC All-Star Game to the tournament the New Era NYBC presented by Hotwire.com will give sports fans in the Memphis area and a nationwide television and streaming audience an opportunity to see the future baseball stars of tomorrow on what promises to be an action packed event.

Sponsors include New Era, Hotwire.com, AutoZone, Campbell Clinic and the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Gameday Baseball’s fields are located at 7800 Fischer Steel Road, Cordova, TN.

Ticket Prices for NYBC

Adult Daily Pass, $15.00

Adult Tournament Pass, $50.00

Adult Tournament Pass, $55.00

Children 7-12, $5.00

Children 6 and under, FREE

Seniors, $5.00

CBS Sports Network is the 24-hour home of CBS Sports and is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, and to access the CBS Sports Network channel finder, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

For more information go to www.gamedaybaseball.com and www.youthmajors.com.