Early check-in day is here. The Muskies players and their families start arriving tonight.  Saturday the check-in process will continue and in the afternoon there will be a skills competition - running, pitching, home runs and others.  The boys also go through a team orientation and a pin-trading frenzy.  Each Muskie player has been provided with about 60 pins to trade with players from other team.  The way things looked tonight most of their pins will be traded by tomorrow.

Here are some additional tidbits for our fans around the country.  Each team will receive two jerseys - a red one and a blue one.  So, no Muskie hats and jerseys during the games.  Each team will wear one of those jerseys for that game.  Pool play starts on Sunday and goes through Tuesday.  Single elimination bracket play will begin on Wednesday with the championship round beginning on Thursday.  Let's hope to see the Muskies on the field come Thursday.  It is a fun atmosphere around here with people from all over the country.  We will face some very stiff competition but we expect to play well and represent Minnesota proud along with seven other teams from the State making the trip.

More posts to come as we start the tournament play on Sunday.  Go Muskies!

Our view from the long line of cars waiting to check in the players and their equipment.

This place is beautiful - welcome to Cooperstown Dreams Park!