MOSES LAKE — Some of the best 16- to 18-year-old baseball players from throughout the United States continue to gather at Larson Playfield this week to compete for the 2009 16-18 Babe Ruth World Series championship.

Vying for the world series championship are eight regional champions, one state champions, and the hosting Columbia Basin River Dogs. These 10 teams played through grueling summer baseball schedules to earn the right to be among Babe Ruth League’s elite teams.

After nearly 11 months of planning and preparations, the 2009 Babe Ruth World Series kicked off at Larson Playfield Saturday morning with the tournament’s opening ceremonies.

More than 150 participants from each of the 10 competing Babe Ruth teams gathered around the freshly-mowed grass at Larson Playfield to open the 2009 Babe Ruth World Series.

After participating in a few of the world series events, Babe Ruth League board member Bob Dickson of Alexandria, Ind., said he expects the Columbia Basin to host a successful world series tournament.

“I think we are going to have a great world series,” he said prior to Saturday’s festivities.

Teams began arriving at the Holiday Inn Express in Moses Lake Thursday afternoon when the Middle Atlantic Regional Champions from Long Island, N.Y., and the New England Regional Champions from Cape Cod, Mass., reached the Columbia Basin. Teams continued to arrive early Friday morning when the Southwest Regional Champions from Abbeville, La., arrived.

Upon arriving at the Holiday Inn Express, tournament participants from each of the 10 teams sat through the 2009 Babe Ruth World Series team orientation before meeting their host families.

With 154 tournament participants arriving in Moses Lake to compete at the 2009 Babe Ruth World Series, housing co-coordinators Roger and Eileen Martinez worked diligently to recruit volunteers to offer their homes for out-of-town participants.

When all was said and done, the Martinez’s recruited 67 volunteers to house participants.

With the 2009 Babe Ruth World Series kicking off Saturday morning the with the opening ceremonies, participants and coaches met at McCosh Park in Moses Lake Friday afternoon for lunch before the tournament banquet Friday night.

While at the banquet, each of the 10 teams were introduced while host families, tournament sponsors and guests attended. Following Friday night’s banquet, those in attendance gathered in the Moses Lake High School auditorium and former Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Norm Charlton was honored to be the guest speaker and spoke to those in attendance.

Charlton continued to be an active member of the 2009 Babe Ruth World Series opening ceremonies.

With more than 2,000 fans and spectators in attendance at Saturday morning, Charlton stepped on the mound to throw out the opening pitch for the annual baseball tournament.

The 2009 Babe Ruth World Series began Saturday morning and River Dogs head coach and tournament co-Director Randy Boruff said he appreciates the support the tournament has received.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our communities,” he said. “This has been a success.”

The Columbia Basin River Dogs kicked off the 2009 Babe Ruth World Series Saturday night and before their first game, members of the 1998 Babe Ruth World Series Champion River Dogs were honored.

B.J. Garbe was a member for the 1998 River Dogs team and threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the River Dogs won the first of three games heading into their final pool game Wednesday night against San Gabriel Valley, Calif.