Payson Roundup

That sigh of relief Rim Country readers heard this week was from Gracie Haught Classic Tournament Director Charlene Hunt.

“We are going to have great weather. That is great news after all the snow and rain we have had,” she said

Weather forecasts for the tournament, which is to be played today, March 19, and tomorrow, is for warm, clear conditions.

Which is in sharp contrast to some past tournaments when the weather was cold, cloudy and windy.

For today’s softball action, Hunt has divided teams into four pools.

Pool A is comprised of Blue Ridge, Winslow, Estrella Foothills and Flagstaff. In Pool B are Payson, Benson, Bradshaw Mountain and Tucson Amphitheater.

Show Low, Wickenburg, Buckeye and Camp Verde are aligned in Pool C. In Pool D are Snowflake, Mesa Dobson, Santa Cruz and Mogollon.

Today, the teams will play round robins in each pool.

Tomorrow, March 20, the teams will be seeded into one of two eight-team consolation and championship brackets based on their records in pool play.

Bracket A will be comprised of the teams that finished either first or second in their respective pools.

Bracket B will house the schools that finished third or fourth in pool play.

Bracket games will be played all day tomorrow.

The top team from A bracket will be declared the overall tournament champion.

The title game, which will begin at 5 p.m., has been moved from the Rumsey II field to Rumsey I.

Hunt said the site was moved because Rumsey I has lights, should the game extend past dusk.

Games, which begin at 10 a.m. each day and continue almost continuously until 5:30 p.m., will be played on four Rumsey Park fields and at Payson High School. At the conclusion of the two days, coaches will select an all-tournament team.

There is no admission charge, and Hunt has issued an invitation for all fans and boosters to turn out to show their support for their favorite teams and players.