Although the New York City Metro Baseball League schedule is noticeably lighter as a result of the holiday weekend, that doesn't mean that some of the Metro League's most talented players will be taking the next few days off.  The NYCMBL will entering two teams in the National Adult Baseball Association (NABA) Atlantic City Memorial Weekend Tournament, which will kick-off on March 25, and both teams will be looking for strong showings in their respective divisions. 

The first Metro Stars team—put together by Lenwood James and Joel Lamboy from the Bronx Pirates—will compete in the tournament's 18 Wood Open division, and will feature several members from three-time defending champions' squad. They begin pool play on Saturday, May 25 when they take on the New Jersey-based Bergen Pirates at Somers Point Field at 12:30 p.m.

The second Metro Stars team will be managed by NYCMBL President Christen Colon and Brooklyn Dodgers' skipper Tom Alongi, and is comprised of several top players from both the AA and A Divisions. That club will be playing in the tournament's 18 Wood Rookie bracket and will see a familiar first round opponent on May 25, when they open the tournament with a game against the Nassau Yankees at Ventnor Field.

According to Colon, the matchup with Will Melgar's Yankees should be an important one—especially with league-wide bragging rights on the line. 

"We can't afford to lose that one," laughed Colon. "No shot."

Each team in the Atlantic City Tournament is guaranteed three pool play games, with the four top-ranked clubs in each division advancing to a single-elimination bracket to determine a champion. The championship round is scheduled for Monday, May 27. 

But although the two Metro Stars teams are aiming for tournament victories, Colon maintained that the main goal of the weekend is to begin to build league-wide excitement which he believes will translate into momentum for future NABA tournaments.

"I hope we're competitive and I would like to win, but I really want guys to see that this is a fun event," said Colon. "I'd like to see this grow, get bigger and I'd like us to work toward entering a team in the NABA World Series in Florida." 

If you would like to follow the exploits of NYCMBL teams at the Atlantic City Tournament, be sure to follow the league's website, as well as its Instagram and Facebook accounts.