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Sports

Little League All-Star Season Gets Under Way

District 18 tournament started Sunday

It’s that time of year again, when every crack of the bat may lead to a longer season, when young baseball players dream of reaching the big stage: the Little League World Series.

The District 18 tournament, which encompasses tournaments for every age group from 8-year-olds to 15- and 16-year-olds, got under way on Sunday with the 10-year-old age group.

It was a tough beginning of pool play for the Berkeley Little League 10-year-olds, who lost 7-6 to Holbrook Little League in extra innings. Berkeley Little League president Bob Everett reported it was a great game but shaky defense was costly.

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But as the first of four games in pool play, there’s plenty of time for the team to rebound, starting with Tuesday’s game, where Berkeley hosts Jackson.

The 12-year-old age group is the most famous group, of course, and District 18 has produced World Champions, including the Toms River East American Team that won the championship in 1998. That age group kicks off today with Berkeley hosting Manchester at 7:30 p.m.

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The younger age groups – 8-year-olds and 9-year-olds – have a more limited tournament, but the older groups, from 12-year-olds on up, advance to the World Series level, with the 13-year-olds, Junior League players (14-year-olds) and Senior League teams going to sites in Michigan and Washington.

Come back to Berkeley Patch for updated scores and further coverage.

SCHEDULE:

June 26: 10s – Holbrook 7, Berkeley 6

June 27: 12s – Berkeley vs Manchester at Jackson, 7:30 p.m.

June 28: 10s – Jackson vs. Berkeley at Holbrook, 7 p.m.

June 29: 12s – Berkeley vs. Jackson at Brick, 6:30 p.m.

June 29: JRs – Brick vs. Berkeley at Lacey, 6:30 p.m.

June 30: SRs – Berkeley vs. Lakewood at Berkeley, 7 p.m.

June 30: 10s – Toms River East National vs. Berkeley at TR East, 6:30 p.m.

July 1: 12s – Berkeley vs. Lakewood at Lakewood, 6:30 p.m.

July 2: 10s – Berkeley vs. Toms River National at Berkeley, 4 p.m.

July 3: 12s – Toms River East National vs. Berkeley at Lacey, 10:30 a.m.

July 6-7: Quarterfinals and semifinals of the 10s

July 8: Quarterfinals of the 12s

July 8: 11s – Berkeley vs. Toms River East American at Lacey, 6 p.m.

July 9: 10-year-olds Championship

July 9: 13s – Berkeley vs. Jackson at Toms River East, 11 a.m.

July 10: Semifinals of the 12s

July 10: 11s – Berkeley vs. Brick at Holbrook, 11 a.m.

July 12: Winners bracket and Losers bracket games, 12s

July 13: 11s – Berkeley vs. Lacey at Berkeley, 6:30 p.m.

July 14: Losers bracket final, 12s.

July 16: 12-year-olds Championship.

July 16:  11s – Toms River East National vs. Berkeley at Toms River East, 4 p.m.

July 17: Quarterfinals of the 11s.

July 19: Semifinals of the 11s.

July 21: Winners bracket and losers bracket, 11s.

July 23: Losers bracket, 11s.

July 25: 11-year-olds Championships

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