WHEELING – Two dozen youth baseball teams will begin taking their swings Thursday at a championship in the 38th annual Edgar Martin Beast of the East Tournament.

Ten of the teams are local – with five entered in the oldest of the three divisions, the 19U. The other divisions are 14U and 16U, with games being played daily through Sunday’s championship round.

Contests in the 14U bracket will be played at Bellaire High School’s John Blacker Field in Neffs and Bridgeport High School’s Niekro Diamond in Brookside

Four teams – Post 757 Colts-Blue; Pittsburgh Titans; Moundsville Post 3; Jokers 14U will compete in round-robin play. The championship finals will be played in Neffs on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The 16U bracket is the largest with a dozen teams entered. It is broken down into two six-team pools – White and Red – and will play games at Harrison Central’s Mazeroski Field inside Sally Buffalo Park in Cadiz; Weir High School’s diamond in Weirton; and Bridgeport High School’s Niekro Diamond in Brookside.

Teams in the White Pool include Milton Elite, Canes, Pa. 16U, The Show, West Hills 16U Fiscus, Canes OV 15U Prospects and Harrison Central Huskies. The Red Pool features Titans Baseball Navy, Pittsburgh Scrappers, Diamonds in the Rough, Pittsburgh Titans and Ohio Valley Rivals.

The championship game will be played Sunday in Cadiz at approximately 1 p.m.

The 19U bracket will play games at Wheeling Park High School’s Patriot Field and John Marshall’s Monarch Field in Glendale, with the championship game set for 1 p.m. at Wheeling Park High School.

The eight-team bracket is broken into a pair of four-team pools – John Marshall and Wheeling Park. Teams include St. Clairsville Post 159, West Hills Armory, WV Outsiders, Blaze Baseball, Wheeling Post 1, Moundsville Post 3, Steubenville Post 33 and Weirton Yellow Jackets.

“I was trying to get 10 teams in each bracket,” Bo McConnaughy, one of the founders of the long-time summer staple in the Ohio Valley and director of the four-day event, said. “I even called a few of the teams that used to come a lot to ask why they aren’t coming anymore, and I got a few different reasons.

“There are a thousand tournaments now and they don’t have to travel as far,” he cited. “First, they have some kids that don’t want to go and they have a hard time finding kids; and secondly, they don’t have their sponsors like they used to so they have to raise their own money; and thirdly, gas, food, lodging … . It all adds up.”

For the first time in its history, the headquarters will now be located at Wheeling Park High School’s Patriot Field.

“We’re not using Patterson Field or the Elm Grove Civics this year,” McConnaughey explained.

“I’m considering changing the Beast a little bit, but it’s still going to be at the same time for next year,” McConnaughy noted. “It’s been here 38 of the last 39 summers, we didn’t hold it during COVID, and I would like to keep it going for another two so it’s 40.”

All games will follow the current NFHS Baseball Rules with the exception of the following: Each team can bat 9 players only and there can be a DH for any position player. Each game will have a 2-hour time limit and are seven innings. However, if the time limit is reached during an inning, the inning will be completed until the trailing team has batted.