Charleston Fighting Squirrels open play at Midwest Plains Regional Thursday

DICKINSON, N.D. - The Charleston Fighting Squirrels baseball program begins its quest for a second straight World Series birth Thursday at the Midwest Plains Regional in Dickinson, N.D.

The eight-team tournament is slated for July 24-27 at Astoria Field at Southside Ballpark. Pool play takes place Thursday, Friday and Saturday with bracket play scheduled for Sunday.

Charleston is slated to compete in a four-team pool with Holyoke, Colo., Dickinson and Eden Prairie Black, Minn. The other four-team pool features Oskaloosa, Iowa, Lyons, Kan., Eden Prairie Red, Minn. and Fargo, N.D.

Charleston plays Holyoke Thursday at 2:30 p.m., Eden Prairie Black Friday at 2:30 p.m. and host Dickinson Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The top two finishers in each pool advance to a single-elimination four-team championship bracket. The semifinals of bracket play are at noon and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The Midwest Plains Regional championship is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

The Fighting Squirrels enter its regional with a record of 35-16.

Last week Charleston beat Arch City 13-3, beat Portageville 7-3, beat Boonville 9-5, beat the SEMO Pirates of Leopold 6-5, suffered a 9-3 loss to Boonville in the first state championship game and beat Boonville 3-1 in a winner-take-all title game to secure its seventh Senior Babe Ruth state title in eight seasons.

"We are really excited to still be playing," Charleston Fighting Squirrels coach Michael Minner said in a phone interview with Dexter Daily Statesman Monday afternoon. "We think we have a legitimate shot to win this thing. Pool play is a different beast, but we'll scout these teams and try to line our pitching up.

"We think we're on the good side for advancing," Minner added. "You never know what to expect, but usually Iowa and Kansas are two of the tougher teams and they're both in the other pool. If we play like we're capable we should have a shot to win this thing Sunday."

The winner of the Midwest Plains Regional advances to the Senior Babe Ruth World Series. The World Series takes place Aug. 7-14 in Ephrata, Wash.

Charleston beat Oskaloosa 6-0 in the 2013 Midwest Regional championship.

Charleston left for the Midwest Plains Regional Monday. The Fighting Squirrels are spending Monday night in Sioux City, Iowa, before completing its 20-hour drive to Dickinson Tuesday.

"This will be our eighth straight regional," Minner said. "These are unique opportunities for the kids. We've got a great group of kids. These are lifetime memories. These kids will form bonds they will remember the rest of their lives. In 20 years they will be talking about something stupid that happened in North Dakota and hopefully it also involves someone hitting a gap shot that scored the winning run, someone throwing a no-hitter or someone making a diving play.

"These are great trips," Minner continued. "They are trips I'll never forget. There is something that comes out of every regional. I remember something from every one of them. It's just a remarkable opportunity, and we are excited to still be playing."

View a complete tournament schedule below:

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TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

DUSTIN WARD - dward@dailystatesman.com Pictured left to right are Chandler Young, Jarrett Sandlin and Doug Still opperating the sniper bat from the Fighting Squirrels dugout at the Sr. Babe Ruth state tournament last week at Hillhouse Park.

Pool A: Oskaloosa, Iowa, Lyons, Kan., Eden Prairie Red, Minn., Fargo, N.D.

Pool B: Holyoke, Colo., Eden Prairie Black, Minn., Charleston, Mo., Dickinson, N.D.

THURSDAY, JULY 24

Oskaloosa vs. Lyons, noon

Charleston vs. Holyoke, 2:30 p.m.

Eden Prairie Red vs. Fargo, 5 p.m.

Eden Prairie Black vs. Dickinson, 7:45 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 25

Lyons vs. Eden Prairie Red, noon

Eden Prairie Black vs. Charleston, 2:30 p.m.

Oskaloosa vs. Fargo, 5 p.m.

Holyoke vs. Dickinson, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 26

Eden Prairie Red vs. Oskaloosa, noon

Holyoke vs. Eden Prairie Black, 2:30 p.m.

Lyons vs. Fargo, 5 p.m.

Charleston vs. Dickinson, 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 27 (BRACKET PLAY)

Game 1: No. 2 Pool B vs. No. 1 Pool A, noon

Game 2: No. 1 Pool B vs. No. 2 Pool A, 2:30 p.m.

Game 3 (championship): WInner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2