SPORTS NOTEBOOK: Black Sox set to host Coca Cola Classic

The Soo Cambrian Mazda Black Sox are set to host the annual Coca Cola Classic International Baseball Tournament at Sinclair Yards beginning tomorrow.

Eight teams will be divided into two divisions with the top two teams after the round robin advancing to Sunday's playoffs.

Cambrian Mazda, the Soo Minor Baseball Association's midget select team, will be grouped with Gladwin, Valley East and Stanwood in the red division. Marquette, Sudbury, Portage Lake and the Michigan Sault's EUP Travelers in the white division.

The Black Sox open the tournament on Friday at 6 p.m. against Gladwin before a pair of games Saturday against Stanwood at 9 a.m. and Valley East at 11:30 a.m. The Travelers will play their round robin games at their home James Field on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Sunday's playoff schedule begins with two semi-finals at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The winners will meet in the championship game at 2 p.m.

*** LAIRD RACING:

The third week of racing is slated for tonight at Laird International Raceway. The racing program begins at 7 p.m. Qualifying in the late model and factory stocks begin at 6 p.m.

Through two weeks of action, Rob Hiiema leads the late model division in points while Jayson Praysner sits atop the factory stock. The Michigan Sault's Barry Glenn is the pure stock leader while Mike McCarthy leads the stock four cylinders.

*** KILLER HONOURED:

Ottawa 67's head coach Brian Kilrea was one of four to named to named to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Nicknamed "Killer", Kilrea joins Pat Lafontaine, Grant Fuhr and Mike Ilitch as this year's inductees.

Kilrea played in the National Hockey League with Detroit and Los Angeles and won three Calder Cups as a player from 1960-62. In his 26-year coaching career with the 67's, Kilrea has won two Memorial Cups in 1984 and 1999 along with three Ontario Hockey League championships.