The only time there was any silence at Desert Sun Stadium on Friday night was when the color guard of the Marine Corps Air Station marched its way onto the field.

After Sgt. James Gendron, Lance Cpl. Cameron Dempsey, Cpl. Jonathan Quimis and Cpl. Andres Amaya finally settled between the pitching mound and home plate, the opening ceremony for the Cecil Fielder Elite World Series was full of activity.

Teams from all of the age levels — 19 in all — spent the evening on the field to watch and participate in a number of competitions, including running the bases, an outfield-to-home relay, a catcher's throw down to second and a home run derby.

“They had a good time and that's what it's all about. Get the kids out here to smell the grass, smell the dirt, get a chance to do some competing,” Fielder said. “If you can put them in a spot to let them enjoy themselves and tomorrow get to compete, that's what baseball is all about.”

The Cecil Fielder Elite 18U World Series, which took place in Yuma during the winter, had several more teams than any of the younger age levels, but Friday night was filled with more excitement in the air. Most likely, it is from the families who travel with the youth baseball teams.

“With the younger kids, you're going to get that.” Fielder said. “It's a little different with the younger kids because you'll get the grandparents and everybody coming.”

Before the competitions took place, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Rockford Thompson from the Yuma Proving Ground brought a Humvee for the young players to experience.

“It was fun to let the kids look at it and play around and install a sense of pride in our service,” Thompson said.

Overall, the entire night — from the players walking into the stadium from behind the right field fence to the home run derby — seemed like a success for the young players.

“It's a good thing for the kids because we don't get this kind of thing in Yuma. It's a good tournament,” Yuma Angels (U7 and U8) coach Robert Romero said.

The Yuma Cardinals (U6) will play at 7 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. today and 8:25 a.m. and 9:40 a.m. Sunday at Kennedy Memorial Park. The Yuma Angels (U7) play at 6:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. today and 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Sanguinetti Park. The U8 Yuma Angels play 5 p.m. and 6:55 p.m. today and 5 p.m. and 6:55 p.m. at Yuma Catholic.

A tournament will begin Monday to determine a champion.

“It's really pressure for me, to be honest. I don't think my kids feel it. I think we can come out and be competitive,” Marco Cuadros, the coach of the Yuma Cardinals, said about the host team.

Tickets for the games this weekend will be $5 at the gate or a weeklong pass that costs $22 for adults and $17 for children.

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