By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
June 24, 2004
The State Games of Mississippi is entering its final weekend of competition with a running start.
Baseball players received their first taste of the Games on Wednesday, as the eight teams practiced in front of scouts at Meridian Community College's Scaggs Field.
The double-elimination tournament was set to start today with District 2 meeting District 6 at 10 a.m.
District 1 takes on District 8 at 1 p.m.; District 4 meets District 7 at 4 p.m.; and District 3 wraps up the first day of games against District 5 at 7 p.m.
The high school basketball portion of the Games starts on Friday, as 32 boys and girls teams suit up for the three-day tournament.
Teams will play pool games at Meridian High School, Meridian Community College, Newton High School and Newton County High School on Friday and Saturday. The championship games will be played at MCC on Sunday, with the girls' game at 1:30 p.m. and the boys' game at 3 p.m.
The Games will have a full slate on Saturday and Sunday with 11 sports being run around Meridian. The only change entering this weekend is that the adult soccer competition will be held at the Northeast Soccer Complex. Adult soccer was originally slated to be played at Northeast, the Jaycee Soccer Complex and MCC.
Luke said the thing she wants most in the final weekend is cooperation from Mother Nature.
The State Games expect to draw around 1,500 athletes for its final weekend of competition. Around 3,900 athletes participated in the first weekend on June 19-20.
Luke said the first weekend of competition, which had 12 sports, went well.
This year's state-wide, Olympic-style competition will have a different ending.
The Games will hold a Volunteer Appreciation reception on Sunday, the last day of competition. It will be held from 5-8 p.m at Meridian Community College's Tommy Dulaney Room.
After the reception, workers in the State Games office will close out the paperwork for this year's event, and then they will take a short break.