ROGERS — All three local American Legion baseball teams were on the road for tournaments last weekend, but they will be able to play this weekend and sleep in their own beds at night.
Rogers Optimist Club, Bentonville Nunnally Chevrolet and Fayetteville Lindsey & Associates will all be in action in the Rogers-Fayetteville Invitational, which begins today at Veterans Park.
Two years ago Lindsey coach Ashley Patrick and Rogers coach Tony Anderson decided to pool their efforts to host an event so their teams wouldn’t have to travel for one weekend of the season.
The invitational is a round-robin format with no real champion crowned, but six teams will play four games each over three days.
The field includes Little Rock Post 1, two-time defending state champion Texarkana, Texas, and Fort Smith Kerwins along with the three local teams.
Rogers (11-2) comes in on a roll, having won seven straight and claimed the 26th annual Brooks Robinson Twin Lakes Classic title in Mountain Home last weekend.
Anderson said he will likely use these four games to get more of his pitchers some work.
“We’ve got two conference games next week, so some of the young guys will throw this weekend,” Anderson said. “But the bats have really come around the last two weeks.”
Anderson has been pleased with the way his team is rounding into shape. Reed Brown, who returned after playing his freshman season at Missouri S&T, has been a standout on the mound a a closer. Zac Stewart, who redshirted at Central Arkansas, has played a solid shortstop and done well as the team’s leadoff hitter.
Fayetteville Lindsey (14-7) is also coming off a tournament championship, having won the Red River Credit Union Tournament in Texarkana last weekend. The Dodgers defeated the host Texarkana Indians 17-1 in the finals.
However, Fayetteville struggled in a 10-5 Zone 1 loss to Bentonville on Tuesday, leaving Patrick a little frustrated.
“Our team has showed glimpses of being a solid team,” Patrick said. “We just need to learn how to be more consistent.”
Bentonville (9-4) has also played well lately, losing in the finals of the Twin Lakes Classic to Rogers. Nunnally Chevrolet has split two league games with Lindsey and also split two with Rogers, winning the Zone 1 game.
Bentonville coach Kyle Blevins said the big inning has haunted his team in its losses this season.
“For us, pitching is going to be key,” Blevins said. “I think we’re going to be in every game with the way we swing the bats.”
At A Glance
Rogers-Fayetteville Invitational
At Veterans Park, Rogers
Today’s Games
Field 1
Fayetteville Lindsey vs. Texarkana, Texas, 4 p.m.
Rogers Optimist Club vs. Texarkana, 7 p.m.
Field 2
Bentonville vs. Fort Smith Kerwins, 4 p.m.
Fort Smith Kerwins vs. Little Rock Post 1, 7 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
Field 1
Bentonville vs. Texarkana, Texas, 11 a.m.
Bentonville vs. Little Rock Post 1, 2 p.m.
Rogers Optimist Club vs. Little Rock Post 1, 5 p.m.
Field 2
Fort Smith Kerwins vs. Texarkana, 1 p.m.
Fort Smith Kerwins v. Texarkana, Texas, 4 p.m.
Texarkana vs. Fayetteville, 7 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Field 1
Rogers Optimist Club vs. Texarkana, Texas, 1 p.m.
Rogers Optimist Club vs. Fayetteville Lindsey, 4 p.m.
Field 2
Fayetteville vs. Little Rock Post 1, noon
Bentonville vs. Texarkana, 3 p.m.