Saturday marks a monumental step for the Demopolis travel ball team as the squad will host its first USSSA Baseball tournament.

“This year, it looks like the weather is actually going to cooperate,” head coach Brian Sellers, whose teams saw both of its 2009 events rained out, said. “We struggled to get some teams though because there are over half a dozen tournament going on for the 12-year-olds across the state. It is tough to get teams to come to a new place when you have that many going on.”

Saturday’s tournament will feature two Demopolis teams, a squad from Linden and one from Northport.

Sellers’ role in the process has been made easier of late as the Demopolis Chamber of Commerce has become involved in facilitating the tournament.

“The chamber is kind of heading it up for us,” Sellers said.

“They saw the economic potential. And I’m thankful for that because organizing it all was getting to be too much.”

Sellers’ team has 12 full-time players. For this weekend’s draw, the group’s part-time players will form a second Demopolis team.

“We had so many reserve players that we put them on another Demopolis team for this tournament,” Sellers said.”

This is only the group’s second tournament of the year, but more will be coming as Demopolis is set to compete in seven events between now and July 13.

“We’ll do two or three tournaments a month,” Sellers said. “We’re already qualified for the state tournament in June, which will be in Orange Beach. The tournament we’re most excited about is the one in South Haven, Miss. you end up playing teams from Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas. It’s like going to a Southeast regional.” Saturday’s tournament at the Sports-Plex is $6 for admission and will begin at 9 a.m.