NORTHEAST TIGERFEST INCLUDES 12 TEAMS,

LADY TIGERS’ HOME OPENER

 BOONEVILLE, Miss. -- Northeast Mississippi Community College’s softball team will finally christen its home season on Friday during the Ninth Annual Northeast TigerFest Softball Tournament at Booneville City Park.

Northeast (1-5) comes off a six-day wait after playing in the Rush Invitational in Meridian over the weekend. The Lady Tigers will embark on their 2009 home slate against Bevill State (Ala.) on Friday at 2 p.m. as the 12-team, 35-game tournament kicks off.

Northeast and Bevill State already have history this year. Bevill St. extended Northeast’s slide in the Rush Invitational with a two-out, two-run walk-off home run to end the tournament in Meridian.

Northeast has already endured a pair of six-day layoffs this season.

First, the Pearl River Invitational was washed out due to inclement weather at the start of the season and now, after the Lady Tigers’ home opener with East Central Community College was rescheduled due to transportation problems at the Decatur-based school.

“I really hope we get to play,” said Northeast Mississippi Community College Head Softball Coach Jody Long. “It will be tough on us if we don’t especially with division starting at Holmes on Tuesday.”

Twelve teams are slated to hit the four softball fields at Booneville City Park Friday and Saturday competing in almost 40 games over the two days.

Joining the host Lady Tigers includes a trio of schools from the Magnolia State – Pearl River, Northwest and Mississippi Gulf Coast community colleges -- and a quartet from neighboring Alabama.

Alabama-based Bevill State-Sumiton, Northwest Shoals, Snead State and Calhoun community colleges will all be competing in the Ninth Annual Northeast TigerFest Softball Tournament.

A trio of teams from the Volunteer State – Columbia State, Southwest Tennessee and Jackson State Community College -- head south for the tournament as does perennial power Indian Hills (Iowa).

“There are going to be a lot of teams playing teams they don’t normally play,” Long said. “Everyone gets to play at least four games and it will also give teams a chance to play in a single-elimination bracket format where when you lose, you go home or you win and keep playing.”

Long set the tournament up to give every team the maximum playing time he can.

Friday and Saturday morning’s action includes a sampling of some of the best teams in the South playing each other while Saturday afternoon’s action includes a single-elimination tournament.

The host has an Alabama affair with Bevill State (Ala.), Northwest Shoals (Ala.), Snead State (Ala.) on Friday before kicking off Saturday action against Southwest Tennessee.

Bracket play will allow the Lady Tigers to get in a fifth game when Northeast faces the winner between Jackson State (Tenn.) and Indian Hills (Iowa).

Long knows that with two six-day delays already he can’t do anything about Mother Nature but the veteran Lady Tiger mentor is willing to make a call on the tournament early to save colleges money.

“We will make a decision Thursday about whether to have it or not based on the weather,” Long said. “With budget constraints like they are now, we can’t bring people in here and have them sit on a bus for two days and not play.”

Admission for the tournament is $5 per day for school age and above. Northeast staff, faculty and students get in free with a valid Northeast ID.

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Ninth Annual Northeast TigerFest

Softball Tournament

February 27-28, 2009

At Booneville City Park

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2009

Field 1

Bevill St. (Ala.) vs. Northeast, 2 p.m.

Indian Hills (Iowa) vs. Pearl River, 3:30 p.m.

Northwest Shoals (Ala.) vs. Northeast, 5 p.m.

Columbia St. (Tenn.) vs. Pearl River, 6:30 p.m.

Snead St. (Ala.) vs. Northeast, 8 p.m.

Field 2

Calhoun (Ala.) vs. Southwest (Tenn.), 2 p.m.

Northwest vs. Bevill St. (Ala.), 3:30 p.m.

Pearl River vs. Calhoun (Ala.), 5 p.m.

Miss. Gulf Coast vs. Indian Hills (Iowa), 6:30 p.m.

Indian Hills (Iowa) vs. Columbia St. (Tenn.), 8 p.m.

Field 3

Jackson St. (Tenn.) vs. NW Shoals (Ala.), 2 p.m.

Miss. Gulf Coast vs. NW Shoals (Ala.), 3:30 p.m.

Miss. Gulf Coast vs. Columbia St. (Tenn.), 5 p.m.

Jackson St. (Tenn.) vs. Northwest, 8 p.m.

Field 4

Snead St. (Ala.) vs. Northwest, 2 p.m.

Calhoun (Ala.) vs. Jackson St. (Tenn.), 3:30 p.m.

Southwest (Tenn.) vs. Snead St. (Ala.), 5 p.m.

Southwest (Tenn.) vs. Bevill St. (Ala.), 6:30 p.m.

Saturday February 28, 2009

Field 1

Miss. Gulf Coast vs. Jackson St. (Tenn.), 9 a.m.

Southwest (Tenn.) vs. Northeast, 10:30 a.m.

Field 2

Columbia St. (Tenn.) vs. Snead St. (Ala.), 9 a.m.

Indian Hills (Iowa) vs. Calhoun (Ala.), 10:30 a.m.

Field 3

Pearl River vs. Bevill St. (Ala.), 10:30 a.m.

Field 4

Northwest vs. NW Shoals (Ala.), 10:30 a.m.

Bracket Play

Field 1

Jackson St. (Tenn.) vs. Indian Hills (Iowa), noon

Northeast vs. Noon winner, 1:30 p.m.

Previous Game’s Winner vs. F3 1:30 p.m. winner, 3 p.m.

Field 2

Columbia St. (Tenn.) vs. Calhoun (Ala.), noon

Northwest vs. Noon winner, 1:30 p.m.

Previous Game’s Winner vs. F4 1:30 p.m. winner, 3 p.m.

Field 3

Miss. Gulf Coast vs. Snead St. (Ala.) noon

Bevill St. (Ala.) vs. Noon winner, 1:30 p.m.

Field 4

NW Shoals (Ala.) vs. Southwest (Tenn.), noon

Pearl River vs. Noon winner, 1:30 p.m.

Championship

F1 3 p.m. winner vs. F2 3 p.m. winner, 4:30 p.m.

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