AUBURN — As if the Augusta Babe Ruth 15-year-old All-Star team needed any more incentive when it plays in the state tournament on Friday at Saint Dominic Academy in Auburn, it gets to start the tournament against the team that broke its heart one year ago.

“We open with Windham, which beat us in the championship last year (of the 14-year-old state tournament),” Augusta coach Mike Bechard said. “The boys are definitely excited about playing Windham first. We’ve got to get a little redemption from last year.”

Host team Apple Valley and Auburn will also take part in the tournament, one of several being played around the state this weekend. The Augusta/Windham grudge match opens the tournament at 2 p.m.

Last year, Augusta emerged from the loser’s bracket to challenge Windham and handed it its first loss of the tournament, 4-2. Windham took the championship game though, 4-1, to advance to the New England regional.

Bechard believes his team’s pitching depth could get it over the hump this year.

“The key really is pitching. If you run out of pitching, you’re in trouble,” Bechard said. “These teams hit so well that if you don’t have enough quality pitching, you’re not going to be able to get through. Staying in the winner’s bracket (and possibly having to play one less game to win the title) helps a lot.”

The rest of this weekend’s schedule includes a handful of state tournaments and one regional championship.

Skowhegan’s Memorial Field will host the 13-year-old Babe Ruth tournament, which opens Friday with Apple Valley taking on Portland at 2:30 p.m., followed by Central Maine vs. Tri-County at approximately 5 p.m. The tournament champion advances to the New England regional on July 25 in Winooski, Vt.

The hearts and minds of many folks in Skowhegan will be about 100 miles to the southwest, at the Ham Complex in Bridgton, where the Skowhegan 10-year-old Cal Ripken team is one of two Maine representatives in the New England regional. Skowhegan, which won the state tournament in Brunswick last week, kicks off the action at 10 a.m. on Saturday when it takes on Brookfield, Connecticut.

Skowhegan has four players who played two years ago as 8-year-olds in the 9U New England regional.

Teams go into a regional tournament with little information on their opponents, but coaches can find clues if they know where to look.

“We can get a pretty good pulse for it on Friday after they have the skills competition,” Skowhegan coach Dough McEwen said. “They have a home run derby and throwing contest and a relay race. It doesn’t necessarily translate to the game but you get a good idea who the athletes are.”

Several local teams are headed to Berwick and South Berwick for their state tournaments. The 9-year-old Cal Ripken tournament started there last weekend and continues this Saturday, with Skowhegan advancing in the winners bracket to take on Andy Valley and Messalonskee scheduled to meet Berwick in a must-win losers bracket game. Gardiner and Farmington also participated and were eliminated last weekend.

The 11-year-old state championship, also taking place in the Berwick, starts on Saturday. Gardiner, Messalonskee and Skowhegan will compete in the 13-team double elimination tournament.

Area 3 14-year-old champion Apple Valley faces Westbrook at 11 a.m. Friday to kick off their state tournament at Portland’s Deering Oaks Park. Midcoast and Westbrook are the other two teams competing. The champion advances to the regional on July 24 in Westfield, Massachusetts.

Sacopee Valley won the 12-year-old state Cal Ripken title in Mechanic Falls last week.

Randy Whitehouse — 621-5638

rwhitehouse@mainetoday.com

Twitter: @RAWmaterial33

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