In summer league baseball, the pairings are set for first round action in the Mickey Mantle North Central Regional, which Coldwater will be hosting for the 43^rd time beginning Thursday afternoon. The host Coldwater Cardinals, who each year receive an automatic bid to the regional, will play Thursday night at 7:30 at Lowe Field against the Mid-Michigan Tigers. The Tigers are one of four teams that qualified for the regional from the Mickey Mantle State tournament, which Coldwater hosted last week. The Regional opens Thursday afternoon at Borden Field at Heritage Park with a 3:30 game and another contest at Borden at 6 p.m. The other opening round game is set for 5 p.m. at Lowe Field. The tournament continues through Saturday, and if necessary, Sunday, with the winner advancing to the Mickey Mantle World Series in McKinney,Texas.

The Coldwater Softball Association this week is hosting the USA Junior Men’s Fast Pitch Softball team for a pair of exhibition games. The contests on Wednesday evening at Waterworks Park are part of the USA team’s selection camp exhibition tour of Michigan, which started Saturday and runs through Sunday. The camp is part of the preparation for the 2012 International Softball Federation Junior Men’s 19-and-under World

Championship to be held starting November First in Argentina. On Wednesday, beginning at 6:30 a tWaterworks Park, the USA Junior team will play the Lightning, Thunder and then compete against the Coldwater League All-Stars. Next month, the Argentina Junior Men’s National team will be playing an exhibition doubleheader in Coldwater on Tuesday, August Seventh.