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PLANS UNDERWAY FOR LOCAL BASEBALL CLASSIC.

Portsmouth is preparing to host one big baseball bash in 2010.

Cincinnati Reds Senior Special Assistant to the General Manager and Wheelersburg native Gene Bennett announced Tuesday that plans are underway for the inaugural Gene Bennett Baseball Classic.

The event will take place June 10 through June 13 at Branch Rickey Park as well as at the new Portsmouth High School baseball complex and other local fields. It will feature 15 of the top amateur teams from the United States and Canada and best of all — there will be no admission charge.

Co-hosting the tournament will be former Red Don Gullett and former Pittsburgh Pirate Al Oliver. Jeff Brown, a Wheelersburg resident, will be the tournament director and former Portsmouth resident Ron Slusher of the Ohio Warhawks will be in charge of bringing in the teams.

Two national powerhouse teams that have committed to the tournament are the Warhawks and the Cincinnati Midland Redskins as well as the Ontario Blue Jays from Canada. Other teams will include the Nevada Scout Team, the Bartlett (Tenn.) All-Stars, the Florida All-American Prospects and the hosting American Legion Post 23 team.

"My goal with this tournament is to let the youth of Portsmouth and other towns along the Ohio River see the future stars of Major League Baseball and to let the little guys know that they have a baseball past, present and future," Bennett said. "In my 57 years of baseball, I believe this will be the most high profile amateur baseball event to ever be held in the tri-state area."