Baseball: Saugus vs. Hart in Tuesday’s VIBL final

Two Foothill League rivals, Saugus and Hart, will meet in Tuesday’s VIBL championship game at 7 p.m. at Birmingham High, ending a long summer for lots of baseball players.

Oh, there’s still the Area Code Games beginning Aug. 5 in Long Beach and several players are involved in USA national team competition, but school will soon begin, and players can finally take a break.

Both teams Tuesday won’t be at full strength but the competitiveness should come out.

For Saugus, senior outfielder Roy Verdejo has had a productive summer, hitting near .500.

For Hart, junior first baseman Austin Russ has made himself a legitimate college prospect with his hitting. And the Indians are thrilled that center fielder Weston Fitzpatrick, a key contributor as a sophomore, is healthy after missing his junior year because of a football injury.

The winner of the VIBL tournament has proven to be a top team the following spring. Last year, Loyola won the VIBL and advanced to the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals.

Eric.sondheimer@latimes.com