ASHEBORO — The 2010 American Legion State Baseball Tournament will be played July 24 through July 28 at McCrary Park.

The event will get under way July 23 with a free pre-tournament extravaganza that will include opening ceremonies, a home run derby contest and a fireworks show – the first of two on consecutive nights.

The Asheboro Copperheads are staging the state tournament on behalf of Post 45 and its sponsoring organization, the Asheboro Kiwanis Club.

The McCrary Park gates will open at 7 p.m. for the on-field events. The opening ceremonies are scheduled to begin at approximately 7:45 p.m. with the home run derby around 8:30 p.m. Admission to the Friday night event is free to the public.

The first of the two big fireworks shows will cap the special night, the first of its kind in the 10-year history of the state tournament.

In addition, part of the opening ceremonies will include a special tribute to our nation’s military veterans, similar to the one held by the Asheboro Copperheads at one of their games in late May. The Randolph County Honor Guard is scheduled to participate in the special salute, presenting the colors and firing a three-gun volley.

All veterans, not just those from Randolph County, are invited to take part in the tribute. Veterans are encouraged to arrive when the gates open at 7 p.m. and sign up at the registration table, which will be set up just inside the main gate.

Also, all former Post 45 players are invited to attend and participate in the opening ceremonies by joining the current Post 45 team on the field. All eight participating teams will be in uniform on the field for the ceremony.

“We’re thrilled to be hosting the state tournament and excited about this special opening ceremonies’ event on Friday that will conclude with a big fireworks show,” said David Camp, Copperheads general manager. “The state tournament has never had a pre-tournament event like this and we think it’s going to be something unique and memorable for both players and fans. The home run derby will be a fun event that will generate lots of talk among the players themselves and, of course, everybody loves fireworks. With all eight teams and their fans in town, and with the support I’m sure we’ll get from the local community, we expect a very large crowd.

“This also provides us with a great opportunity to pay tribute to our veterans again, which is a perfect tie-in with the American Legion,” Camp added. “We can never say or do enough to thank those brave men and women for their service to our country down through the years.”

Tournament play will begin at 9:30 a.m. July 24, with  games also scheduled for 12:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Following the final game on Saturday, which will feature Randolph County Post 45 against the Area II champion, there will be another fireworks show.

Four more games will be played July 25, with the same game times – 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

If Randolph County Post 45 wins its opening round game the team would play the final game of the day on Sunday.

If Post 45 loses in the opening round the local team would play the 12:30 p.m. gam Sunday.

Three games will be played July 26 beginning at 1:30 p.m. Games are also set for 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Two games will be played on July 27, the first one set for a 4:30 p.m. start with the second game to follow.

On championship day, July 28, either one or two games will be played. Game one of the championship round will start at 1:30 p.m. and if a second game is necessary it will begin approximately 30 minutes after completion of the first game.

Tournament passes are priced at $30, which includes admission to all games.

Session passes (two games per session) for Saturday and Sunday will be $10 each, and all daily tickets for games on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be $10 each.

The ticket booth will be open July 23, during the special pre-tournament event so that fans can buy tickets. Also, tickets will be on sale at Asheboro Copperheads home games prior to the tournament.