By STEVE JACKSON
The 2024 Saladino Baseball Tournament returns for its 43rd installment this March and will once again feature three exciting tournament divisions. The five boys baseball teams from the South Shore are all opening this Saturday, March 9, in three separate divisions in the prestigious tourney
All divisions will feature pool-play rounds from Saturday, March 9, through Tuesday, March 12, with each team guaranteed at least four tournament games.
Gold Division consolation teams will play their fourth game, while the four pool winners will face off in semifinal action on Wednesday, March 13, with the Saladino Championship Final taking place at the University of Tampa on Thursday, March 14.
Jefferson, Lennard and Strawberry Crest return as Gold Division hosts, along with Tampa Catholic providing the host sites for pool-play rounds. Semifinal and final consolation games, as well as Thursday’s Saladino Championship game sites are still to be determined.
The Silver and Bronze Divisions will match up the two pool winners in the division championship, while the corresponding pool finishers will face off for their fourth games – both taking place on Wednesday, March 20.
An eight-team (two-pool) Silver Division pool and consolation games will be hosted at Riverview and Sumner. And returning for its second season, the eight-team Bronze Division will be hosted in its entirety by Tampa Bay Tech, with the consolation games taking place Wednesday at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., and the Bronze championship at 7 p.m. Pool play rules are as follows: Tournament seeding determined by Saladino Advisory Committee (made up of Tony Saladino III, tournament director; Donny Scolaro and Jarrett Guthrie, Saladino board members; Miguel Menendez (Jesuit) and Jason Smith (Riverview), last season’s gold and silver division champion coaches; and Spencer Nunez (Jefferson), county-at-large volunteer member. The top team in each pool advances to semifinal; highest seed is home team throughout tournament.
•For more information, visit the Saladino Official Website www.tonysaladinobaseballtournament.com/.
