After a year off, the Grand Forks Invitational Baseball Tournament (GFI) is coming back better than ever with an earlier date.The move from the end of August to the end of June has made it much easier for organizers to be able to attract top end baseball teams.With 12 teams coming from North America and $54,000 in prize money up for grabs, fans can expect some great ball played right here in Grand Forks.All 25 games will take place at James Donaldson Park. The tournament kicks off on Wednesday, June 25 and runs through June 30, the day before Canada Day, when the final takes place.“We’ve got 11 of the 12 teams confirmed,” said Joan Thomas, GFI coordinator. “We’ve got some strong teams returning such as Seattle Studs and Thurston County. We’ve got some new ones such as West Coast Guns out of California; we’ve got the North Sound Emeralds, which we haven’t seen before.”The Canadian contingent of the tournament will be well represented with the Langley Sr. Blaze returning.“They did really well at the Canadians last year,” said Thomas. Thomas expects to see a strong crowd out at all the games cheering on their favourites.“People have their favourites,” she said. “Some people come to see the (San Diego) Stars, some come to see the Studs. A lot of people will come over from the Trail area to watch the AM Ford Orioles.”With no local team, the Orioles are sure to draw a lot of local fans as well.“Trail’s closer to home,” said Thomas. “They have a lot of fans here (as well).”With Trail hosting the 2014 B.C. Provincial Championship in August, the GFI will be a great tune-up for the Kootenay representatives.Former Oriole players who played in the GFI include former major league all-star Jason Bay, and current Winnipeg Goldeye and national team player Chris Kissock.“They’re all pretty good caliber teams,” said Thomas.The teams will be placed into three divisions. From there, the top two teams will go into the money round plus two wildcard teams that are determined by record or, if necessary, statistics.The GFI started in 1968 as the International Labour Day Tournament at James Donaldson Park and has run almost every year since with only a couple of years off, including last year. This year will be the 33rd.GFI touts itself as a place to watch tomorrow’s stars today and they’re not kidding.So far, 37 major leaguers have passed through the GFI on their way to the pros including: Tim Lincecum (San Francisco Giants); Josh Becket (Boston Red Sox); Brendan Ryan (St. Louis Cardinals); as well as former major league stars John Olerud and Larry Walker.Finishing first at the 2012 GFI were the Lewiston Truckers, who carried home $20,000. Team Canada finished second and took home $12,000, while Seattle Studs placed third and picked up $5,000.The GFI is still looking for volunteers to do everything from work the concessions to being a vendor to first aid to field maintenance.Thomas said the tournament requires 300 volunteers to make it run.“If you do 12 hours of volunteer work you get a tournament pass,” she said. “A lot of people want to help out and then watch the games. It’s a great combination.”Thomas said there are a few reasons why the GFI ended up not running last year.“We had some of our long-term volunteers retired,” she said. “We were already looking at changing the date because it’s harder to get teams at the end of August. Some of our teams pulled out because it was right before nationals. Plus, the field was under construction and didn’t get done until fall. So it gave (the field) a chance to settle over the winter.”Undoubtedly, the GFI is a big economic driver for Grand Forks. With 12 teams of 30 or so players plus coaches and families all staying in town and eating at restaurants and bars, said Thomas.“That’s 300 or so just with the teams,” she said. “Then you’ve got umpires, they’re coming in; you have fans coming in (from out of town). Not only are they spending money at the park, but they’re spending in town.”Thomas said the food and beverages sold at the park is bought in town using local suppliers.The atmosphere at the field is family-friendly, said Thomas. “We’ve got vendors selling food like popcorn and stuff, kids running the bases, there is a fenced in area behind the field where kids can go and play while their parents watch the games,” she said. “Sometimes we’ve had baseball buddies where they get signed shirts and that kind of thing. We do lots of different things.”Tournament passes are available in advance in Grand Forks at both Pharmasave and Sears. Tournament passes, day passes and single game tickets will be available at the gate.

Grand Forks Gazette