Baseball teams get ready to slug it out

There will be some Fourth of July fireworks this week on local baseball diamonds, where high-school baseball teams will have a blast in the Greenbrier Slugfest baseball tournament.

The event runs Thursday through Sunday, and will be conducted at several sites. Along with Greenbrier, Columbia County teams from Harlem, Lakeside and Evans will also be slugging it out.

"We use about every high-school field available," Greenbrier coach Ed Williams said. "It takes a lot of work, and a lot of help from parent volunteers, but it's a good weekend of baseball. The games are very competitive."

The Slugfest kicked off at Evans High School in the early 1990s, and the holiday tradition is still a hit with prep squads.

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"It's something that's really grown," Williams said. "The first Slugfest started out with six teams, and now we usually have between 35 and 40 teams."

Greenbrier Slugfest

Baseball tournament schedule

Thursday

At Greenbrier: Greenbrier II vs. Westside II, 1 p.m.; Greenbrier III vs. Lakeside III, 3:30 p.m.; South Forsyth I vs. Greenbrier I, 6 p.m.; Greenbrier I vs. Thomson, 8 p.m.

At Evans: Evans II vs. Richmond Academy II, 1 p.m.; Evans I vs. Harlem, 3:30 p.m.; Evans II vs. South Forsyth II, 6 p.m.

At Lakeside: Lakeside I vs. Richmond Academy I, 1 p.m.; Lakeside II vs. Aquinas, 3:30 p.m.; Westside I vs. Cross Creek I, 6 p.m.

Friday

At Greenbrier: South Forsyth II vs. Greenbrier II, 10:30 a.m.; Richmond Academy II vs. Greenbrier III, 1 p.m.; Loganville II vs. Greenbrier III, 3:30 p.m.; Centennial vs. Greenbrier I, 6 p.m.; Greenbrier II vs. Thomson, 8:30 p.m.

At Lakeside: Parkview II vs. Lakeside II, 3:30 p.m.; Parkview I vs. Lakeside I, 6 p.m.; Alexander vs. Northside, 8:30 p.m.

At Evans: South Forsyth I vs. Evans I, 10:30 a.m.; Marist vs. Westside I, 1 p.m.; Marist vs. North Gwinnett I, 3:30 p.m.; North Gwinnett II vs. Evans II, 6 p.m.; North Gwinnett II vs. Richmond Academy I, 8:30 p.m.

At Cross Creek: Cross Creek vs. Statesboro, 1 p.m.; South Forsyth II vs. Westside II, 3:30 p.m.; Aquinas vs. Barnwell, 6 p.m.; Aquinas vs. Westside II, 8:30 p.m.

At Harlem: Hardaway II vs. Harlem, 1 p.m.; Hardaway I vs. South Forsyth I, 3:30 p.m.; Hardaway II vs. Lakeside III, 6 p.m.; North Gwinnett I vs. Hardaway I, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

At Greenbrier: Statesboro vs. Marist, 9 a.m.; Parkview I vs. Statesboro, 11:30 a.m.; Greenbrier I vs. Parkview I, 2 p.m.; Greenbrier I vs. Marist, 4:30 p.m.; Parkview II vs. Greenbrier II, 7 p.m.

At Lakeside: Richmond Academy vs. Lakeside II, 9 a.m.; Lakeside I vs. Alexander, 11:30 a.m.; Northside vs. Lakeside I, 2 p.m.; Lakeside III vs. Aquinas, 4:30 p.m.; North Gwinnett I vs. Lakeside I, 7 p.m.

At Evans: Evans I vs. Centennial, 9 a.m.; Lakeside III vs. Loganville II, 11:30 a.m.; Hardaway I vs. Westside I, 2 p.m.; Hardaway I vs. Alexander, 4:30 p.m.; Evans I vs. Thomson, 7 p.m.

At Cross Creek: Westside I vs. South Forsyth I, 9 a.m.; North Gwinnett I vs. Cross Creek, 11:30 a.m.; Centennial vs. Barnwell, 2 p.m.; Barnwell vs. Cross Creek, 4:30 p.m.

At Harlem: Parkview II vs. Harlem, 11:30 a.m.; Richmond Academy II vs. Lakeside II, 2 p.m.; Loganville II vs. Westside II, 4:30 p.m.; Northside vs. Harlem, 7 p.m.

At Patriots Park: Hardaway II vs. South Forsyth II, 11:30 a.m.; Greenbrier II vs. North Gwinnett II, 2 p.m.; North Gwinnett II vs. Greenbrier III, 4:30 p.m.; Evans II vs. Hardaway II, 7 p.m.

Sunday

At Greenbrier: Alexander I vs. Parkview I, 9 a.m.; North Gwinnett I vs. Statesboro, 11:30 p.m.; Richmond Academy II vs. Lakeside III, 2 p.m.

At Lakeside: Northside vs. Centennial, 9 a.m.; Marist vs. Barnwell, 11:30 a.m.

At Evans: Hardaway I vs. Evans I, 9 a.m.; Loganville II vs. North Gwinnett II, 11:30 p.m.

At Harlem: Hardaway II vs. Parkview II, 9 a.m.; Richmond Academy I vs. Thomson, 11:30 a.m.