With their younger counterparts already getting a chance to play on the Coeur d'Alene American Legion's new home at Ramsey Park, some alumni will get their shot tonight at 7 p.m. during the program's second alumni game.

LAST YEAR, in the final official game played at McEuen Field in August, Kaleb DeHaas hit a grand slam to lead the designated home team past the away team 15-8.

The game was also played on the same weekend as the state "A" and "AA" Legion tournaments.

"We wanted to try and do something when the players were all in town," Coeur d'Alene American Legion board member and event organizer Rick Sparks said. "Hopefully we'll have a bigger turnout."

There is no charge to watch the game.

"Our vision is to build a strong alumni group and association," Sparks said. "I think we've got several hundred alumni in the area. We're trying to figure out a way to have them proudly wear their hats around town again."

Players will also compete in a home run derby starting at 6 p.m.

Teams will be split into a pre-2000s vs. post-2000 squads.

The Post-2000 team will be coached by Lake City High and Coeur d'Alene Lakers coach Travis Georgius. Players signed up include Chad Nyquist, Mark Nuttleman, Jesse O'Hagan, Nick Shiroma, Grant Curtis, Bryant Sampson, Derek Priano, Josh Scrafford, Nick Pierson, Ben Cheevers, Jake Keevy and Cody Spencer.

The Pre-2000 team, coached by Nick Groth, is scheduled to have Andy Oss, Ben Johnston, Mike Dorame, Bruce Coppess, Brian Bradley, Tony Frazier, Steve Saunders, Ryon Packard, Alex Capaul, Gus Johnson, Troy Griffiths, Kelly Moffat and Jeff Moffat.

"Our original plan was to have three events, with a golf tournament, alumni game and an opening day celebration," Sparks said. "With our golf event, we had 40 alums out, but this game is something where we can get more and more of those former players here and we want to welcome them back."

"Our hope is that it will keep getting bigger and better each year," Sparks said. "At some point, we'd like to have a full day event. The big thing is keeping them in the Legion family and trying to bring them back. We have about 260 people that follow our Facebook page. And we should have twice that."

THE GAME begins a weekend of baseball in the area, with Coeur d'Alene hosting three pods of the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene Wood Bat Classic. All four Coeur d'Alene-based teams (Lumbermen at Ramsey, Loggers and Lumberjacks at Coeur d'Alene High and Lakers at Lake City High) will host games.

"We're going to have baseball going all over town," Sparks said. "There's teams from four different states (Washington, California, Montana, Oregon) and Canada coming in. There should be a lot of good baseball in town."

The Prairie Cardinals will also host a pod with Thursday and Friday games at Post Falls High, hosting the Okotoks (Alberta) Dawgs, Kalispell (Mont.) Lakers, Spokane Blue Devils and the Spokane Baseball Club.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com.