Baseball: National Classic has a diamond-studded field

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One of the biggest baseball tournaments in the country begins on Monday at Cal State Fullerton and Esperanza and El Dorado high schools, and Champions Sports Park with the arrival of the 19th National Classic. This year it is presented by the local Placentia-based Anderson Bat Company.

Among the 16 participants are Orange Lutheran, which this week is ranked No. 3 by The Times, No. 15 by BaseballAmerica.com and No. 37 in the Preseason Fab 50 by StudentSports.com; Baltimore Calvert Hall, which is ranked No. 1 by Baseball America; James River (Va.), which is No. 6; Vista Murrieta, which is No. 7, and

Washington D.C. St. John’s, which is No. 8.Other Southland schools include El Dorado and Esperanza, who serve as hosts, and Crespi, which opened the season at No. 1 for The Times.

For more about the tournament you can read Steve Fryer’s column or check out the preview from Student Sports.The championship game is Thursday, 7:15 p.m., at Cal State Fullerton.

-- Martin Henderson

-- Image from www.national-classic.com