For the third year in a row, two of America’s finest academies will convene on Kinston.
For the second consecutive year, their baseball series will have to dodge the elements.
The third annual Freedom Classic — this year a four-game series between Air Force and Navy — begins at 1 p.m. today at Grainger Stadium.
The teams will square off Saturday at 5 p.m. and again with a doubleheader on Sunday morning beginning at 10.
Those times vary from the original schedule. Tournament organizers pushed today’s opener up four hours and moved the doubleheader from Saturday to Sunday because most of the rain forecasted to fall in the area is predicted to fall during that time.
Rain caused Game 1 of the Freedom Classic to be postponed last year.
“One thing about athletics, you can’t control the weather,” Kinston/Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Director Bill Ellis said. “You do the best you can and then you go play.
“Sunday is supposed to be beautiful so one great day out of the weekend won’t be bad. We’ll still get them in and have a good time.”
Ellis said he got the idea to bring the event to Kinston — which is surrounded by military bases — when his son, Kyle, played baseball at Navy from 2003-06 and was playing at East Carolina University.
After sharing the idea with his colleagues, the Freedom Classic was born.
“It just seemed like a great opportunity to get (Navy) to come down here with Air Force,” Ellis said. “We have the perfect stadium and it just seemed like the perfect fit.”
Apart from bringing major NCAA Division I baseball to Kinston, a big reason for the event is its economic impact on a town that could use it.
Ellis said he estimates this year’s event will bring Kinston “somewhere around $50,000” due to out-of town guests and monies generated through hotel, restaurant and shopping receipts.
Ellis is also hoping the economic impact and fan turnout is enough to catch the eye of minor league baseball executives looking for a new place to house a team.
“I think teams interested in Kinston would most certainly be looking at this weekend and how it turns out,” said Ellis, who added a team to inhabit Grainger Stadium this year is out of the question but the potential for a team in 2014 still remains.
“It certainly couldn’t hurt us.”
Then there’s the volunteer work the Freedom Classic generates.
Jenny Inabinet, the tournament’s organizer, said the event wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the individuals and organizations who volunteer their time, resources and money over the next three days.
“It takes a lot of work,” Inabinet said. “(The volunteers) help me out so much, because there are so many aspects of the game that happen at the same time so you can’t do it all.
“They don’t know how much I appreciate them. I just appreciate everybody that helps with this event. If it was just me doing it, I wouldn’t be able to put on an event as big as this.”
Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for active duty and retired military, students and senior citizens. Parking is free at the stadium, and concessions, along with souvenir T-shirts and baseballs, will be available for purchase.
The meet-the-players breakfast is still scheduled for 9 a.m., Saturday at King’s Restaurant on U.S. 70. Admission to the breakfast is $10. Former New England Patriots tight end and inaugural Kinston/Lenoir County Sports Hall of Fame inductee Lin Dawson will speak at the breakfast.
Navy took two games in the first Freedom Classic in 2010; Air Force returned the favor by taking 2-of-3 in last year’s event.
Air Force (0-4) enters the classic with a team batting average of .288 and a team ERA of 9.56. Navy (2-2) brings with it a team average of .315 and a staff ERA of 3.82.
Today’s game will be the 32nd meeting between the military academies. The Falcons lead the all-time series with the Midshipmen, 16-15.
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at KFPSports.
Breakout box:
Freedom Classic
All games at Grainger Stadium
n Game 1: Today, 1 p.m.
n Game 2: Saturday, 5 p.m.
n Game 3: Sunday, 10 a.m.
n Game 4: Sunday, 1 p.m.
Tickets are $5; senior citizens, veterans and students are admitted for $4. For more information,