“For it’s one … two … three strikes, you’re out, at the old ball game,” as the old song goes. Yes, folks, it’s spring and that means it’s baseball time. To kick off the baseball season, the City-County Athletic Complex in Warsaw is hosting the Spring Challenge Youth Baseball tournament.

Nearly 40 teams will descend on the complex from April 11-13. Over the course of the event, 70 games will be played.

“It’s actually one of our smaller tournaments,” says CCAC Director Karl Swihart. “Some have 200 games.”

That doesn’t mean this isn’t a big tournament. “It’s considered at World Series qualifier,” says Swihart. “[Teams] have to earn their berth for the World Series.”

The Spring Challenge is a Baseball Player’s Association sanctioned event. The BPA is a national baseball organization that follows High School Federation rules. “We consider that real baseball,” says Swihart.

Teams that perform well at the Spring Challenge will qualify for the state tournament. Playing in State, hosted by the CCAC on June 26 through 29, will activate a team’s World Series berth.

“We’re going to do the World Series again this years,” says Swihart. “We’re expecting about 70 teams from all over.”

This will be the CCAC’s fifth year hosting the BPA World Series. Teams will come from all over the country – Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky – to compete against the best of the best in youth baseball.

“On that one we usually bring a speaker for the opening ceremony,” says Swihart. Greats of America’s pasttime, like Ken Griffey and Scott Sanderson, as well as local legend Jordan Kistler, have spoken at the World Series opening ceremonies. Swihart says the CCAC hopes to bring in  coach Mik Aoki from Notre Dame for the 2014 opening ceremonies.

But before players get to the World Series, or even the State Championship, they have to get through the Spring Challenge this weekend, which will be no easy task. Some of the best teams in the region, including one Michigan team and two Ohio teams, plus teams from St. Joseph, Allen and La Porte counties, will be in Warsaw to show their stuff.

So come on out and see some of the best young talent in the area. Cost is $5 per day. Two-day passes are $9, and a three-day pass is $12. Kids 12 and under are admitted for free.

Games will played on all eight of CCAC’s fields starting at 6 p.m. on Friday. There’s a full schedule of games from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Games start again at 8 a.m. on Sunday. Championship games start at 2 p.m. So, pickup some peanuts and Cracker Jacks and enjoy a weekend with America’s pasttime.