OLD ORCHARD BEACH — The second annual Rumble at The Ballpark returns to Old Orchard Beach on Saturday as high school and college wrestlers will compete in the historic baseball stadium.
The event will be held under the lights this year with wrestling scheduled for a 6 p.m. start at The Ballpark.
“The tournament is shaping up to be bigger and better than last year’s event. We have wrestlers signed up from all over Maine, but also from wrestling clubs in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York,” said Pat McDonald, who started the tournament last year.
There are some new additions to this year’s event as there will be a clinic held before the tournament. The clinic, which will be run by University of Southern Maine coach Mike Morin, will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at the Old Orchard Beach High School gym. The clinic is for wrestlers of all ages — youth through college.
“We are thrilled to have coach Morin helping us out this year. Mike is building a powerhouse wrestling program right here in our own backyard and it’s an honor to have him leading our clinic,” said McDonald, who is the sports editor of the Journal Tribune.
College wrestlers will also be welcome at The Ballpark this summer as there will be a college-age division in addition to the high school division.
“The high school division will always be our main focus, but we are thrilled to have a division for wrestlers who are out of high school but still want to compete,” said McDonald, who noted there will be 10 college weight classes, ranging from 125 pounds to 285 pounds.
The high school division is for wrestlers who will be in 8th through 12th grade in the 2018-19 school year. The weight classes will be the same as during the regular high school season.
There are a couple different options for paying for the event. Wrestlers can either pay $20 for the clinic only or $20 for the tournament only. Wrestlers who want to go to the clinic and compete in the tournament will get a discounted price of $30. There are also commemorative t-shirts available for just $10.
“We are trying to keep the prices down for wrestlers and their parents. No one is making money off this tournament as all proceeds will be donated to local high school wrestling programs and The Ballpark,” said McDonald.
The first-place trophies for the event are commemorative baseball bats. The second-and-third place finishers will receive medals, according to McDonald.
Wrestlers can sign up for the event at https://form.jotform.com/80376931857165 or register in person during the clinic hours at Old Orchard Beach High School. All wrestlers will need to stop by the high school during the clinic to weigh in for the tournament. For more information, contact Pat McDonald at rumbleatballpark@gmail.com.