Hilton Head to host 'super district' Dixie Youth baseball tournament in June

The Hilton Head Baseball Association will host the Dixie Youth Baseball Hilton Head Minors Super District Tournament from Monday, June 24 through Saturday, June 29 at Crossings Park.

Nine teams from District 8 will take part in the 15-game, double-elimination tournament for a berth in the state tournament, which begins July 20 in North Charleston. The state winner advances to the World Series held Aug. 3 to Aug. 9 in Laurel, Miss.

"It's a great thing for Hilton Head and the Hilton Head Baseball Association," said Adam Markowitz, a member of the board of directors and a coach in the HHBA. "We really represent baseball and the community well. Everybody that helps out, they're all volunteers. It's really amazing that everybody comes together all season, but especially this week."

The area will be well represented with seven of the nine teams in the tournament coming from Beaufort and Jasper counties. There will be two teams from Hilton Head Island, two from Bluffton, two from Beaufort, one from Colleton County, one from Jasper County and one from Hampton-Varnville.

Hilton Head, Beaufort and Bluffton each get two teams in because, by Dixie Youth Baseball rules, leagues of eight teams or more require two all-star teams represent the league.

"That's a good sign," Markowitz said. "It means we've got a lot of kids coming out for baseball in the community. It's a great sign that the programs are growing."

In the past, Hilton Head may have hosted a sub-district tournament, splitting the district tournament with another community, such as Beaufort. But Markowitz said HHBA leaders determined that didn't make financial sense and bid to host the entire district event.

"It's a huge thing for our organization, and there are perks of hosting," Markowitz said. "But there is a cost involved as well. And one of the things we do is give the stipend to the winner that allows them to go to the state tournament. The host is responsible for that."

Markowitz said that when the district tournament is split in half, so is the revenue. But should Hilton Head win the coin flip to host the championship, it would still be responsible for the whole stipend. And that didn't make financial sense.

"Doing it as a super district, we should come out ahead," Markowitz said. "But when you split it, you're likely to lose money. We've learned our lesson on that. We've seen it happen in the past."

Adult admission for the tournament is $5 per day. There will be an extra $1 charge on the tournament's first day that will go toward the Dixie Youth Scholarship Fund.

The HHBA will offer a full concession stand, Markowitz said, and may have specials for the tournament like barbecue, chicken, pizza, "maybe wings or even Chick-fil-A. That kind of stuff."

"We like to show our support for the local businesses, and they show their support for us."

This story was originally published May 25, 2013 at 1:05 AM with the headline "Hilton Head to host 'super district' Dixie Youth baseball tournament in June."