Longtime Somerset County baseball tournament ready for 29th installment under new name

The Boswell Area Jaycees High School Baseball Classic has been contested for 28 years. This year's installment of the storied tournament will be played under a new name.

The tournament will now be known as the Boswell Area Service Club High School Baseball Classic. Despite the name change, the annual tournament set for Saturday will have plenty of flare.

"We always have some really good teams come and play," said tournament founder and assistant director John Zadzora. "We have great sponsors. The community supports it, and we have a lot of great help."

Forest Hills has captured the last four tournament championships. The Rangers return to defend their crown.

Another title for the Rangers Forest Hills claims Boswell Area Jaycees Baseball Classic title over North Star

North Star is the tournament host. The Cougars are senior-laden and bring back a bevy of talent from their back-to-back District 5 Class 2A runner-up squads.

United will once again participate. The Lions are led by coach Doug McNulty, a talented player in his own right, who competed collegiately at the University of Akron, and was drafted in the 49th round by the New York Mets in 2008.

Berlin Brothersvalley will make its first tournament appearance. The Mountaineers are a traditional playoff team in District 5-1A.

Cougars make college commitments Three North Star student-athletes announce college commitments

"This year, North Star has all the seniors. I think this is the year they've been looking forward to," Zadzora said. "Forest Hills has been really good over the years. United has good coaches, and they've been quality the past few years. With Berlin, it'll be exciting to see Pace Prosser and Craig Jarvis play baseball. They are both great athletes."

North Star will square off with Berlin at 9 a.m., in Ferrellton. Forest Hills with meet United at 11. The consolation game is slated for 1 p.m., with the championship set to begin at 3.

Forest Hills is 17-8 in its tournament appearances, capturing six total titles. North Star is 27-28 with six crowns, while United is 1-5 in tournament action. Other than Greater Johnstown (13-4), Richland (12-4) and Ligonier Valley (7-3), Forest Hills boasts the highest winning percentage among the 15 teams that have competed over the years.

Adam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on X @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily American Sports on Facebook and @dailyamericanmedia on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Forest Hills bids for 5th straight Boswell Area baseball tourney title