MARQUETTE — With summer vacations in full bloom as the Fourth of July approaches, it must be time for high school alumni softball tournaments in Marquette County.

Four of these events kick off action on Friday or Saturday, including in Negaunee that usually starts a few days later to coincide with its annual Pioneer Days.

Their tourney will still take place during that celebration as Pioneer Days is a bit earlier this year because of the placement of the Fourth this year.

Here is a rundown of the events:

Kyle Wills of the Class of 2011 pitches during the Negaunee Alumni Softball Tournament finals on Friday, July 9, 2021. Teammate Brad Macario looks on from first base. The 2011 team won the tourney, defeating the Class of 2000-01 by the score of 16-10. (Submitted photo)

GWINN ALUMNI

The newest of these tournaments, in its sixth year, opens with a series of special games to go with a couple of regular games on Friday.

At 4 p.m. Friday, the Gwinn Oldtimers take on what are being called the “Junior Oldtimers” at the Gwinn Ballfield Complex just across the road from Gwinn High School.

That’s followed by a Men’s All Star game on the nearby baseball field at 6:15 p.m. between Tierra Lichele Hats and Larry’s Family Foods.

Then it’s back to the softball field, with the Gwinn Area Community Schools staff taking on a group of current students, the Class of 2024, at 7:45 p.m.

Then comes the Women’s All Star softball game at 9 p.m. between Model Towne Inn and Kountry Korner, with the evening’s matchups ending with the first regular tourney game at 10:30 p.m. between the classes of 2022 and 2023.

After that game, though, probably around midnight, will be the Home Run Derbies and MVP presentations for last year’s tournament.

The regular tourney gets into full swing on Saturday with two divisions — the Diapers division for teams from 1994 to 2023, and the Depends division for mostly combined classes ranging from 1976-77-78 to 1992-93.

There are 25 teams in the Diapers and eight in Depends, with a lucky loser, the loser between the afternoon game between 2009 and 2018-20, getting a second chance to play Saturday evening.

Game starting times are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 7:40 p.m. Saturday on both the baseball and softball fields.

Though the schedule wasn’t listed beyond that, it’s expected to run for several more days.

NEGAUNEE ALUMNI

This event will play all its games at LaCombe Field in Negaunee starting with the Class of 2023 taking on the NHS faculty at 5 p.m. Friday.

Four more games will begin hourly that evening with 14 teams in the Varsity division — for classes from 1973-76 through 2006 — and another 15 teams in the JV division — 2007-08 through 2023 along with the Negaunee faculty.

There will be at least two games played each day — except for an off day on the Fourth of July itself — until the division champions are crowned on Friday, July 7. The Varsity winner is determined at 6 p.m., JV winner at 7 p.m. and the overall champion at 8:30 p.m.

In addition, an Oldtimers game between Marquette and Negaunee takes place at LaCombe at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5.

WESTWOOD ALUMNI

Sunnyside Field in Ishpeming Township will host all the game in three divisions — Red, White and Blue.

Red includes six teams from 1975-83 through 1996-97, White is eight teams from 1998 to 2013-14 and Blue is for eight teams from 2015 through 2023, meaning the latter includes nothing but teens and 20-somethings.

Three of the four first-round games in the Blue take place Friday — 2017-18 vs. 2021 at 5:15 p.m., 2016 vs. 2019 at 6:30 p.m. and 2015 vs. 2022 at 7:45 p.m.

The rest of the field plays its first-round games Saturday, with the second round on Sunday morning through mid-afternoon and the championship games later that day.

The Red final is at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, White at 5:45 p.m. Sunday and Blue at 7 p.m. Sunday.

ISHPEMING ALUMNI

What organizers tout as the “World’s Oldest Running Alumni Softball Tournament as listed in the Guinness Book of World Records” will hold its entire event on Saturday and Sunday as three fields will be employed.

There are eight teams in both the Blue and White divisions.

While Blue has the youngest classes, 2020 through 2023, there’s also 2016, 2015, 2013 and the most interesting entrant, 1970-80-94.

White has 2014, a second one from 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and several combined classes — 2010-12, 2005-09 and 1995-2004.

Three games kick off the event at 11 a.m. Saturday with 2022 vs. 2023 at Al Quaal Recreation Area, 2020 vs. 2021 at Slowpitch Field and 2017 vs. 2018 at the Fastpitch Field, the latter two fields at the Ishpeming Ballfield Complex off South Second Street.

Championship games are both set for Al Quaal on Sunday, the Blue division at 3:30 p.m. and White at 5 p.m.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.