Ed Gallo baseball tourney begins today in Whitefish
After two weeks of cloudy skies and rain, the sun is set to come out just in time for the 24th annual Ed Gallo American Legion baseball tournament today through Saturday at Memorial Field in Whitefish.
The eight-team field includes the Glacier Twins’ A and B teams, the Kalispell Lakers’ A team, the Missoula Frontiers, the Glacier All-Stars Babe Ruth team and three teams from Canada.
Pool play begins today at 11 a.m. with the Twins’ A team taking on the Cranbrook (British Columbia) Bandits.
“I’m hoping that the boys play good defense, hit the ball well and just come with good attitudes and be ready to compete,” Twins A coach Bob Rupp said.
The Twins enter the tournament with a 9-1 conference record.
Pool play will be highlighted by a 9-inning conference game between the Twins and Lakers’ A teams Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Twins edged the Lakers 6-4 on Friday in their most recent meeting.
The rest of the tournament’s games will be 7-inning, nonconference contests.
The tournament’s championship round will be held Sunday.
The tournament began in 1990 as a tribute to Ed Gallo, founder of the Glacier Twins program, which formed in 1965 when Gallo invited Columbia Falls legion-age players to join Whitefish players.
Gallo was head coach, president, treasurer, groundskeeper and chief fundraiser for the Whitefish/Twins program during the 1960s.
24th annual Ed Gallo Tournament
Pool play
Thursday
11 a.m. — Glacier Twins A vs. Cranbrook Bandits
1:45 p.m. — Glacier Twins B vs. Glacier All-Stars
4:30 p.m. — Cranbrook Bandits vs. Fort Macleod (Alberta) Royals
7:30 p.m. — Glacier Twins A vs. Fort Macleod Royals
Friday
11 a.m. — Glacier All-Stars vs. Missoula Frontiers
1:45 p.m. — Kalispell Lakers A vs. Cranbrook Bandits
4:30 p.m. — Glacier Twins B vs. Calgary PBF Redbirds
7:30 p.m. — Glacier Twins A vs. Kalispell Lakers A
Saturday
9:30 a.m. — Calgary PBF Redbirds vs. Glacier All-Stars
12:15 p.m. — Missoula Frontiers vs. Calgary PBF Redbirds
3 p.m. — Glacier Twins B vs. Missoula Frontiers
5:45 p.m. — Fort Macleod Royals vs. Kalispell Lakers A
8:30 p.m. — All-Star game
Championship round
Sunday
Noon — Third place game
3 p.m. — Championship