Preparations underway for Freeport International Baseball Invitational

France will be back.

Chuck Sarver, president of the Freeport International Baseball Invitational, said Friday that planning continues to move forward for this year’s event July 25-29 on fields throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley.

A team from the same town and league in France that was represented last year will return for several games throughout the week.

“Things are progressing really well,” Sarver said.

“We have more teams registered now than we have ever had at this time. We’re excited for France coming back. A new guy from Cleveland contacted us, and he’s bringing three (age group) teams from his league up there, 13 and 14, 15 and 16, and 17-18. I just heard from Nelson Cooper from Hardball Academy in the City (of Pittsburgh). They were known in the past as FBI Baseball. And we have several local teams from youth on up to high school that will be playing.”

Sarver said he has been in communication with the high school coaches from St. Joseph (Chuck Vocke), Highlands (Jeff Campbell) and Freeport (Ed Carr), and players from those programs will be on teams ready to play games throughout the week.

“I got to know Chuck Vocke this year,” Sarver said. “They played games in Freeport Borough (at James E. Swartz Sr. Memorial Field), and he lives in Freeport. He was an assistant at Kiski. It was nice they played there as they got the field prepped for the summer leagues starting up and for us in late July. It’s in relatively good shape. We have some field projects we want to get done before July.”

The Freeport International again will have its main hub at Swartz Field.

Sarver said Freeport Community Park, two fields at Northmoreland Park and fields at Armstrong and Highlands High School again will host games throughout the week.

Plans are in the works, Sarver said, for Laura Doerr Memorial Park in Saxonburg to also serve as a game location.

“There are so many beautiful fields in the area, and we are fortunate and grateful that those in charge of the fields want to host games,” Sarver said.

A full slate of games will kick off the week July 25, a Tuesday, but plans are being made to have a single game Monday evening at Swartz Field with the French team against an area team to be determined.

“We did that last year, and it was well attended,” Sarver said. “We had the coaches meeting, and a lot of the coaches stuck around to watch the game. It was a nice opener for what was a great week of games.”

The coaches again will meet Monday evening to coordinate and finalize the week’s schedule of games.

“We want to make sure all of the teams are able to play as many games as possible,” Sarver said.

A tradition continues in the evening of Thursday, July 27 with the Sunny Westerman Old Timers Game.

The week-ending all-star game returns to Saturday evening with fireworks. Last year’s all-star game was Friday as the French team had to leave for home Saturday morning.

Both special events again will be at Swartz Field.

Sarver said planning for this year’s event began shortly after last year’s games ended with meetings and other activities that continued into the fall, winter and now spring.

Sarver said communication again with officials from a Puerto Rican contingent has not yielded a commitment to play.

Freddie Arroyo is well known for bringing teams to the Freeport International.

His grandson, Edwin Arroyo, is a past FIBI participant and is moving up the ranks in the Cincinnati Reds farm system.

A 2021 second-round draft pick of the Seattle Mariners, Arroyo was traded to the Reds on July 29 of last year and is the third-ranked prospect in the Reds system.

The shortstop doesn’t turn 20 until Aug. 25. He plays for the High-A Dayton Dragons.

Sarver said one of the main planning items to get squared away before the tournament is housing for the roughly 20 members of the France team — 16 players and four coaches — who will be traveling to the U.S.

He said that anyone from throughout the A-K Valley who is interested in taking in one or more of the players or coaches can call him at 724-448-2580 or fellow committee members Dave Brestensky at 724-525-9078 or Erin Smetak at 724-3550-2303.

Sarver said those who wish to sponsor any aspect of the Freeport Invitational and others who would like to volunteer during the week always are welcome and can do so by emailing fibisecretary@gmail.com.

For more information on the Freeport International Baseball Invitational, visit freeportinternationals.com/

On the main page are links to the FIBI’s Twitter, Facebook and Instragram pages.

Teams who wish to register for play at the Freeport International can do so under the “Events” tab on the website.