Youth Baseball Teams to Participate in 'Backyard Brawl'

Families can take advantage of weather that promises to hover around 70 degrees this weekend to enjoy one of America's favorite pastimes: baseball. 

The Oakton High baseball program, with the hard work and dedication of more than 80 parent and player volunteers, will host its sixth annual Cougar Clash from Friday through Sunday.

The annual tournament, which will feature 12 teams in both the 13U and 14U divisions from across Northern Virginia, is a fundraiser for the Oakton High baseball program.

"Our parents, our players, our coaches, we're all passionate about baseball, so it's a fun fundraiser for us," said Justin Janis, head coach of Oakton High's varsity baseball team. "There are a couple kids [on our team] that played in this tournament just a few years ago, and it's cool to see how they've evolved. And now we get to see a new group of young guys go out there and play."

Spectators can purchase T-shirts, concessions and Cougar memoribilia throughout the weekend. The Booster Club is also hosting a $5 raffle that earns the winner, announced at the championship game Sunday, a $500 Apple gift card. 

"Cougar Clash is something we like to do for the community," said Nick Good, an Oakton High baseball parent who organized this year's Cougar Clash. "We don't really look at it like a fundraiser. That's just a byproduct of the many volunteers who have come out to help. Really at the end of the day it's about giving back to the youth and getting them ready to play high school baseball. The teams are all from Northern Virginia, so it's really like a backyard brawl for them."

Last year, proceeds from the tournament paid for the turf halo, which protects the area around home plate from wear-and-tear, installed at the Oakton High field during the offseason. The team has no specific plans for the tournament proceeds this year, but Janis said they have a long wish list to choose from. 

"I can't stress enough how this really couldn't be done without the tremendous work of the volunteers," Good said. "The parents are just great. It's great to pull people together for a good cause."

The tournament opens 5:30 p.m. today at three different fields: Nottoway Park and Oakton High in Vienna, and Stratton Woods in Reston. Fields throughout the Oakton-Vienna-Reston area will host tournament games over the weekend. For a full schedule, click here.

Results will be updated on the Cougar Clash website every few hours. Oakton Patch will post photo galleries with updated schedules based on game results each morning. Fans can also follow @OaktonPatch on Twitter to learn if their favorite team advances to the championship game Sunday.

For a full list of participating teams, click here.