Field prep key to successful Freeport International Baseball Invitational

Each year, the board of directors for the Freeport International Baseball Invitational works many hours putting together a local, regional and international field of players and teams they hope will produce a competitive week of games.

The preparation doesn’t stop at the participants as the board makes sure the fields are secured and ready to house the five days of matchups.

Games begin Tuesday at 11 a.m. at four designated fields: Swartz Stadium in Freeport Borough, Laube Field at Freeport Community Park and the high school fields at both Springdale and Armstrong.

“That’s what makes it work, the quality fields and the people there who take pride in keeping them in great shape,” FIBI president Chuck Sarver said.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do this, bottom line. With the rain over the past couple of days, it takes a little bit of extra work to get things ready. We know there is a good crew at each field making sure the fields will be ready to play.”

The FIBI board reaches out to the proper people at each location early in the year to see if the desired field is available.

“We show proof of insurance and do whatever else we’re required to do,” Sarver said.

Renovations at Swartz Stadium brought changes to the fences in left and left-center field and the installation of a walking track around the field that will serve as a warning track.

Freeport Borough plans additional upgrades in the future.

In the present, Swartz Stadium, the centralized location for the invitational, will host its selection of games this week as well as the highly anticipated home run derby and old timers’ game Thursday, Tricon against Puerto Rico under the lights Friday and the annual International versus United States game Saturday evening.

“We have a really good grounds crew who makes sure the field is ready to go,” FIBI vice president Dave Brestensky said. “That goes for all the other fields, too. They know what needs to be done, especially at a time like this with all this rain.”

FIBI games were played on the Armstrong artificial turf for the first time last year. Sarver said work with Ed Morris, the baseball coach at Armstrong, has been beneficial.

“They said before this week that if we would need to move some games because of anything with the weather, we could use the field to get in all the games,” Sarver said. “That’s a plus to having that field.”

There will be a pair of games each day at Laube Field at Freeport Community Park.

Freeport Colt and Palomino teams will play each day, and Friday, the teams will host Puerto Rico at 2 and 5 p.m., respectively.

“It’s nice to be a part of the tradition again this year,” said Dave Montgomery, president of the Freeport Community Park board of directors and a coach with the Kiski Valley American Legion team. “It’s a challenge to have a tournament like this every year because of the cost to have teams come in and other factors, but the FIBI board does a good job, and we enjoy having games up here.

“We’ve had kids who left (the Legion team) the year before because they were too old come back and play (in the FIBI tournament). It’s great to see them come back and play and be able to catch up with them. It’s a good time.”

Art Sweet, long connected with youth baseball in Springdale, and Springdale baseball coach Brett Burger have helped lead the charge for FIBI to play games on the high school field for the second year in a row.

“The invitational and events like this bring pride to baseball,” said Sweet, also a second-year FIBI board member. “There’s a lot of excitement for the kids. My nephew, Noah (Robbins), played in the (FIBI) Futures Tournament (for ages 10-12) a week or two ago, and he said he can’t wait until he gets older so he can play against teams like Puerto Rico and Tricon.”

Noah’s brother, Tyler, a Springdale graduate and a member of the Bethany College baseball team, is a veteran of several FIBI events.