After many years of donations and volunteer hours, the first Little League baseball game at the BACAPA Park on Libby Lane near Charleston was held Sunday morning, July 13. The first game was between the North Bend minors, in the field, and the Myrtle Point minors, up to bat, during the last day of a Little League tournament. World Photo by Lou Sennick.

The first official baseball games at the new BACAPA ballfield in Barview were a big success, BACAPA President Dave Richards said.

“It went great,” said Richards, who has been working for more than a decade on the project.

The field hosted two games during the North Bend Little League All-Star Tournament, consolation contests between North Bend and Myrtle Point, and Myrtle Point and Reedsport in the minors (9-10) age group.

“I never did count how many people were there, but the first game I counted over 40 cars in the parking lot,” Richards said. “In the second game, it was pretty much the same.”

The fans were treated to a pair of great games. Myrtle Point edged North Bend 2-0 in the opener before Reedsport won the second game in extra innings.

“It was a lot of fun,” Richards said. “I think everybody out there had a lot of fun.

“It was a real good turnout and real good sportsmanship. All the participants seemed to be happy with the field and the condition of the field.”

“The North Bend Minors said they enjoyed it and felt very welcome to be there, and part of something unique — the first to play on a new field,” said John Qualman, the tournament director.

The field is the first part of a long-term project by the Barview and Charleston Area Park Association that will eventually include several fields on the site off Libby Lane.

Richards hopes the first games will be a boost toward gaining funding for the rest of the project.

“I really think it will,” said Richards, who said coaches involved in the game were interested in helping out.

BACAPA next will work to finish its back-up water supply before starting to generate funds for the next major step, leveling the rest of the property so the next three fields can be put in.

“That’s going to take a pretty good chunk of change,” Richards said.

The plan is to construct those fields at the same time.

“We’ll probably hold off on actual work until we can do all three fields,” Richards said. “If we can do that, it will cost us a whole lot less money.”

The new field was only part of the successful tournament, Qualman said, giving additional praise to the South Coast Softball Association for allowing use of the Mingus Park field for competition on Saturday and on Sunday morning. The Boynton Park and Ferry Road Park fields also were used.

Newport won the majors (11-12) division, while Florence beat Newport for the minors title. Coos Bay was third in the minors division, followed by Reedsport, Myrtle Point and North Bend.

Qualman said the tournament is a sign of ongoing success at all levels on the South Coast. He noted the successful American Legion baseball teams in Florence and North Bend, which both reached the state tournament last year with players from several South Coast communities. Qualman also noted South Coast Babe Ruth, which had teams place second or third in all three levels at their respective Southern Oregon state tournaments.

“I believe the success of local baseball reflects the participation and interest from the general community, in addition to contributions from (Three Rivers Sandblasters founder) Jim Dietz and dedicated coaches (on the South Coast),” he said.

The local Little League program has improved with the addition of a rookies league in both Coos Bay and North Bend, which precedes the minors and majors age groups, Qualman said.