SIBL Stars Head to Virginia for Zone Tournament

The 10A all-stars of the Swansea Independent Baseball League are scheduled to depart Wednesday, July 24, for Iron Bridge Park in Chesterfield, Virg., where they will seek the championship of the Mustang League East Zone Tournament of PONY Baseball and a trip to Texas next week for the Mustang League World Series.

          Fresh off a three-game sweep last weekend en route to the North Region Tournament title at the Nike Site Playing Complex in Swansea, the SIBL stars are heading south on a long road trip in search of the league’s first Zone Tournament crown in six years. Swansea defeated Belmont, N.Y. (14-7), New Haven, Conn. (17-7), and Tri-City of Troy, N.Y. (11-6), last weekend to capture the regional crown and to improve its tournament record this summer to a sparkling 13-0.

Swansea will open play in Virginia on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. when it faces Southampton-Sussex, Virg., champions of the South Region of the East Zone. In the other first-round pairing of the four-team, double-elimination event, host Chesterfield will take on Mars, Penn., at 8 p.m.

Tournament games will be played Friday at 3, 5:30 and 8 p.m., and the event will conclude Saturday with either one or two games commencing at 11 a.m. The East Zone kingpin will earn a berth in the 2013 Mustang League World Series to be staged Aug. 1 through 4 in Burleson, Texas.

During their stay in Virginia, the SIBL stars will be lodging at the Fairfield Inn in nearby Chester, Virg.

Swansea’s roster in Virginia will include Brandon Medeiros, Colby Campos, Devin Machado, Devyn Vezina, Evan Thro, Alec Jancarik, Josh Ferreira, Nolan Potter, Connor Carey, Luke Escobar, Brandyn Durand, Jared Rapoza, Manager Blake Campos and coaches Jason Machado and Ernie Rapoza.

The SIBL is representing the North Region in Virginia for the second straight year, but is seeking its first World Series berth since 2007 in Irving, Texas. Swansea also qualified for the 2005 World Series in Irving.