Freeport International Baseball Invitational returns for 26th year despite pandemic

Some things don’t change in a small town, and, apparently, baseball is one of them in Freeport.

Players and fans on Tuesday dodged raindrops and assembled at James E. Swartz Sr. Memorial Field for the opening day of the 26th annual Freeport International Baseball Invitational.

About 23 scholastic-age teams from Western Pennsylvania are competing in this year’s tournament. More than 50 games are scheduled through Saturday, culminating with fireworks at 10 p.m. More details can be found at the Freeport International’s Facebook page.

Covid-19 pandemic or not, organizers and players wanted the annual weeklong tournament to go on. The tournament, however, usually draws international teams and players, but the pandemic shut the door on travel for foreign teams.

Freeport Mayor James E. Swartz Jr., whose father is the field’s namesake, is on the tournament board. On Tuesday, he arranged hats and T-shirts for sale on a long table. Swartz’s homemade mask and plastic shields at the concession stand were some of the few reminders there was a pandemic.

The sounds of summer in Freeport, including the cracks of baseball bats and cheering fans, echoed through the town of about 1,700 people.

“At home plate is No. 15,” an announcer blared over the PA system as a batter stepped up to the plate, drowning out the sound of passing cars on Route 356.

The aroma of concession-stand delicacies such as smoked sausage, hot sausage, loaded nachos and Freeport egg salad wafted through the area.

This spring, after planning for the tournament was underway, Swartz warned board members they might be forced to cancel at the last minute if the governor closed public events. But with up to 250 people now allowed at events, Swartz said the pandemic-­related restriction wasn’t posing a problem.

About 80 to 90 spectators showed for the Tuesday afternoon games despite spots of rain.

“I’m surprised we got a good turnout,” Swartz said.

Spectators were not masked but appeared to be socially distanced in small groups of two or three.

“I’ve been going through withdrawl since March,” said Bob Ardellitz of Washington Township, who along with his wife Sue Ardellitz watched their son Josh pitch for a Kiski Area team.

Sitting in a fold-up spectator chair behind the first base line, Sue Ardellitz said, “This makes me very happy.”

The lack of an international flavor was a change. The tournament has hosted players and coaches from Japan, Australia, Israel, Venezuela, Mexico, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Canada, France, Puerto Rico and more.

“It feels different,” said Diane Geist of Freeport, who came to watch some baseball with her husband, John Geist. The couple had hosted visitors from Australia and elsewhere for about 14 years.

Without their international visitors, John Geist said, “I’m bored.”

Being hosts for the tournament has “broadened our horizon,” John Geist said. “We’ve been to Australia six times,” visiting the people they’ve met as hosts.

Still, even without the international visitors, the couple was happy to see the games go on this year.

“It’s good they kept it going,” Diane Geist said.