Play ball! Casey Pohl tournament opens in Palatine

Casey Pohl's mom threw out the first pitch on opening day of his namesake baseball tournament in Palatine.

Sixteen youth teams are competing in the four-day Casey Pohl Memorial Tournament, an annual event in the Northwest suburbs. Champions will be crowned in three age groups on Sunday.

The opening ceremony was held Thursday at Fuller Field, where Pohl's retired No. 47 hangs from the outfield wall.

Casey died in May 2003, 2½ years after he was diagnosed with cancer while in his senior year at Fremd.

"(The tournament) just means the world to us," said his mom, Debbie Pohl. "Casey loved baseball and just for Palatine Youth Baseball to honor him with this is so meaningful."

Dave Seiffert, one of the tourney's organizers and a Palatine Township Elementary District 15 school board member, said a portion of the proceeds from concession sales will help support scholarships in Casey's name for high school baseball players headed to college.

"They should be proud to play baseball," Seiffert said of the tournament's athletes. "Don't take it for granted because it can go away in a heartbeat."

Admission is free. For details, visit Cpmemorial.org.