Tea Baseball Association to hold State Tournament, 4th Grade division

The Tea Baseball Association is hosting 17 teams from across the state for the State A Tournament 4th Grade division July 18-20. This is the first ever tournament organized by TBA and the first youth baseball State event hosted at the Tea Athletic Complex.

Participating teams include Aberdeen Smitty’s, Brandon Valley (Black), Brookings (Black), Capital City Crew, Harrisburg MAG, Harrisburg Tigers (White), Huron Heat, Midwest Evolution Hogs, Mitchell Avengers, Mitchell Kernels, SEBA League Stars, Sioux Falls Raptors, Spearfish, Tea Titans, Watertown Arrows (Lower), Watertown Arrows (Upper) and Yankton Dingers. All teams are part of Class A, made up of the state’s larger communities, which Tea joined in the 2024 season.

Teams will be divided into an Upper and Lower Division, with games held on Fields B, C, F and G at the complex. Games kick off Friday afternoon, with pool play taking place Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s games are bracket play and championship games for each division. There is a $10 gate fee for each day of the tournament.

When the TBA was created in 2024, one of the goals was to host a tournament in Tea. Events like this tournament allow the community to showcase its facilities and hospitality — and results in a positive economic impact as visitors spend their dollars in Tea. Restaurants, gas stations, the hotel and even the Tea Chamber for Development’s Saturday in the Park event should all see a boost in attendance the weekend of the tournament.

“In hosting our first State A tournament, we are hopeful the experiences by the players, coaches and fans will bring them back to Tea for tournaments in the future,” said TBA President Rob Schramm. “A big shoutout to all who have made it possible.”

TBA has worked extensively with the City of Tea in planning the tournament to ensure everything runs smoothly. Community volunteers will also be key in operating the tournament. Interested in helping? Please email teabaseballassociation@gmail.com.