Four teams from Columbus County will compete in the 2007 North Carolina Dixie Boys and Jr. Dixie Boys (ages 13-14) Baseball Tournaments that open Saturday at Smithville District Park at Southport.

The Columbus East All-Stars, coached by Darrell Boswell, will open play in the N.C. Dixie Boys Tournament on Saturday at 10 a.m., against East Lincoln.

The Columbus South All-Stars, coached by Nelson Lee, will face Bladen County at 2:30 p.m., in the opening round of the 14-team twin bracket tournament.

In the nine-team N.C. Jr. Dixie Boys Tournament for 13-year-olds, Columbus East will take the field against Duplin County Saturday at 5 p.m. South Columbus has drawn the tournament’s first-round bye and will meet the Gaston County-Clinton winner on Sunday at 10 a.m.

The N.C. Dixie Boys Tournament winner will receive a berth in the 2007 Dixie Boys World Series, which will be played July 28-Aug. 2 at Aiken, S.C.

The N.C. Jr. Dixie Boys Tournament winner will compete in its World Series play July 28-Aug. 2 at Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Kevin Wayne is the coach of the Columbus East Jr. All-Stars and Freddie Ward is coach of the Columbus South Jr. All-Stars.

Columbus East All-Star teams are comprised of players from three Whiteville teams, Hallsboro and Acme-Delco.

Columbus South teams are comprised of players from two South Columbus teams, Chadbourn and Nakina.

Columbus County All-Star teams have won 10 of the last 11 state Dixie Boys championships and 21 state title since 1976. They have placed runnerup in DB World Series play three times (1999, 2001 and 2005).

Columbus County Jr. DB All-Star teams have won 11 of the last 12 North Carolina Junior Dixie Boys Tournament and took the championship of the 2001 Jr. Dixie Boys World Series.

Saturday’s other first round games in the Dixie Boys state tournament will have Gaston County going against Duplin County at 10 a.m., Dunn taking on Stanly County at 5 p.m., Montgomery County meeting Franklin County at 10 a.m., and West Lincoln meeting host Brunswick County at 7:15 p.m. North Granville has an opening round bye.

Other first-round games in the state Dixie Boys Jr. Tournament will have North Granville taking on Bladen County at 12:15 p.m., Gaston County meeting Clinton at 12:15 p.m and Montgomery County squaring off with host Brunswick County at 7:15 p.m.

The North Carolina Dixie Boys Baseball Tournament is making its first return to Southport an Smithville Park since 1992.

Last season, Columbus County defeated Brunswick County in the finals of the Dixie Boys state tournament, and Brunswick County won its first-ever Jr. DB title by defeating Duplin County in the championship game.