Atkinson, O'Neill Hope Strong Seasons Lead To State Berths

Atkinson and the O'Neill Pinnacle Bank Irish Juniors are hoping their strong seasons will continue at the area tournaments Friday through Tuesday.

Atkinson enters the Class C Area 1 tournament as the top seed in the eight-team bracket. They will take on Ainsworth Friday at 8 p.m. at Neligh's Riverside Park. If they are able to continue their winning ways, Atkinson will potentially play in the championship game Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Neligh. 

O'Neill Pinnacle Bank Irish Juniors enter the Class B Area 5 tournament as the second seed. The B5 tournament is set to be held in Wayne, with the Irish taking on the third-seeded Columbus Lakeview. First pitch is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. The B5 championship game is scheduled for Tuesday at 5 p.m. 

The state tournament begins July 16 with the winners of each area tournament. Class B plays in Sidney while Tri-County will host the Class C tournament.