Baseball season has not slowed down in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. It rarely does, at any age. 

At the end of July, when the desert heat is at its peak, baseball teams from around the area eagerly enter the SRPMIC’s annual Men’s Southwest Baseball Tournament. 

Registration began in June. The tournament had slots available for 20 teams, with the first games beginning on July 23 and through that weekend. Games were played at the Salt River Baseball Field, Lehi Baseball Field and the Accelerated Learning Academy baseball fields.

Of the 20 teams entered, two represented SRPMIC, the Lehi Raiders and Salt River Eagles. Both teams battled tough opponents in the tournament and were unfortunately knocked out before the medal rounds.

This year’s tournament belonged to Guadalupe talent. 

The third-place game took place at the Salt River Baseball Field on Longmore Road. The Guadalupe Yaquis and Guadalupe Ice Boys played a well-fought game. In the end, the Ice Boys came out on top, allowing them to advance to the championship game. That left the Yaquis with the third-place trophy.

The Ice Boys were not done. They beat a strong Guadalupe Chiefs team in the championship game to take first place and, perhaps more importantly, bragging rights back to Guadalupe.