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AL Gulf Coast Sports Commission Hits One Out of the Park with Numerous College and High School Tournaments

4/8/2009

GULF SHORES and ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – Within a two week span in mid April, the Alabama Gulf Coast Sports Commission and the surrounding Pleasure Island community will host four tournaments, some of which will feature the powerhouse softball and soccer teams from the Southeastern Conference.

First up to bat is the 2009 Gulf Coast Classic II Softball Tournament, set for April 14th through 16th at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex and Orange Beach Sportsplex. More than 30 high school softball teams will take to the field each morning for games beginning at 8:30 a.m. and spanning the day until the last games start at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $6.00 per day or $15.00 for a tournament pass. Sports Commission sponsors represented at this event include the Hilton Garden Inn, Holiday Inn Express, The Hangout and Beach Express. For more information and a detailed schedule, visit www.gs-hs.com, or call 251-968-4747.

Meanwhile, the Orange Beach Sportsplex will also host a second event - 2009 Orange Beach Soccer Classic - from April 17th through 19th. What began as a clash between the Auburn Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide in 2003 has evolved into a widely recognized spring tournament for numerous collegiate soccer teams throughout the Southeast.

The tournament starts on Friday at 7:00 p.m. as Alabama battles West Florida and South Alabama takes on Southern Mississippi. Play continues on Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. with a battle of Tigers – LSU verses Auburn. In the tournament’s final day of competition, four games are set for Sunday. At 10:30 a.m., Columbus State will play South Alabama before taking on Auburn at 12:30 p.m. Also set for 12:30 p.m., Southern Mississippi will battle Alabama. Finally at 2:30 p.m., Auburn will play South Alabama.

Admission is $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for children while children five years old and under will be admitted free of charge. For more information, call 251-981-PLAY.

Not taking a break from the competition, the area will host two tournaments during the following week. Leading off the double-header is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, which is set for April 24th and 25th at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. With exciting college softball action, this conference championship kicks off with two games on Friday afternoon – both of which start at 6:00 p.m. Games on Saturday will start at 10:00 a.m., noon, 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Adult admission is $5.00 per day. Children over the age of 12 are admitted for $3.00 while those 12 years and under will be admitted free of charge.

Finally, Pleasure Island will welcome the 2009 Orange Beach Invitational Softball Tournament on April 24th and 25th. Approximately 24 high school softball teams are set to participate in this tournament, which will be held at the Orange Beach Sportsplex. Games will begin Friday at 4:00 p.m. and Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and will span each day. Admission is $6.00 per day or $10.00 for a tournament pass. Sports Commission sponsors represented at this event include Fairfield Inn and Suites and Original Oyster House. For more information and a detailed schedule, visit www.gs-hs.com, or call 251-968-4747.

The Alabama Gulf Coast Sports Commission will welcome these upcoming events: 2009 AHSAA Boys and Girls 4A through 6A State Track Championship (April 30-May 2), the Gulf Shores Regional EVP Volleyball Tournament (May 2) and the 2009 MS Bike Ride – Border Bash in Orange Beach (May 2-3).

For information on these or any other sporting event along the Alabama Gulf Coast, please visit www.alabamagulfcoastsports.com, or call 1-800-745-SAND.

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