It's not ancient Greece, but the Lower Burrell Juniors Little League baseball team will be playing at Athens with a championship at stake.
The state Little League tournament for Juniors (ages 13-14) will be held on the fields of Athens High School in Sayre today to Tuesday.
Lower Burrell meets the Section 5 champion in the opening game of the tournament at 2 p.m. today. The six-team tournament features a double-elimination format.
"They're very excited and very upbeat," Lower Burrell manager Steve Yakopec said. "They're one of the six best teams in Pennsylvania."
The teams are composed of 13- and 14-year-olds, with the winner of the tournament advancing to the Eastern Regional Tournament, which starts Aug. 4 in Tinton Falls, N.J.
Yakopec has seen success come from a team effort. The Lower Burrell players never give up, as evidenced by how they overcame a late 3-1 deficit in the Section 1 championship game.
"They called themselves together in the top of the inning and talked to each other, then they scored the go-ahead run," Yakopec said. "Then they did the same thing before taking the field and trying to get the last three outs."
Yakopec has received strong performances from starting pitchers Camren Nelson, Dave Yakopec and Rob Iozzi. Their outings have been backed by a solid defense that has turned several double plays. Yakopec hopes that and timely hitting will result in a state championship.
"We're winning games by scores of 5-4 and 7-5, so the other teams score runs but our pitching is good enough," Yakopec said. "We've strung hits together when we needed and put the pressure on the other team."
The opening ceremonies for the tournament start at 12:30 p.m. today.
Additional Information:
Title quest
Who: Lower Burrell Juniors Little LeagueWhat: Pennsylvania State Tournament
Where: Athens High School Fields, Sayre, Pa.
When: Today to Tuesday
Roster: Zach Mazur (C), Sam Greiner (C), Sean Bates (3B/RP), Clint Logan (SS/2B), Camren Nelson (SS/2B/SP), Jim Hess (1B), Nick Lombardo (1B), Dave Yakopec (SP/OF), Rob Iozzi (SP/OF), Ben Beal (RP/utility), Brandon Nichols (OF/2B), Andrew Peck (OF), Jeremy Landowski (OF/IF), Brian Beattie (3B/1B/C).
