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The Kansas City T-Bones of the independent Northern League and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association have announced the 2008 MIAA baseball tournament will be held at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas.

The four-team, double-elimination tournament is scheduled to be played Friday, May 9, through Sunday, May 11.  Prior to 2008, the tournament was hosted by the tournament’s top seed.

“In an effort to make the MIAA more marketable in Kansas City, we need to have more championship events in the metropolitan area,” said MIAA commissioner Jim Johnson.  “With a fine facility such as CommunityAmerica Ballpark, it will be great for our student-athletes and fans to experience and give the local baseball fans a taste of high-quality NCAA Division II action.”

The T-Bones have hosted other collegiate tournaments at their home park prior to this, including the Best of the Midwest NCAA Division I tournament in the spring of 2006.

“In our continuing efforts to provide quality entertainment at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, the T-Bones are very excited about the addition of the MIAA baseball tournament to our facility’s schedule,” said T-Bones general manager Rick Muntean.  “Not only will we offer our fans and the market top notch baseball, we will be bring folks from out of the market to the Legends area.  It should be a win-win for all involved.”

CommunityAmerica Ballpark now plays host to the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer, Kansas City Kansas Community College baseball, the MIAA baseball tournament and the T-Bones.

The MIAA is made up of 10 NCAA Division II universities in Kansas and Missouri.

This is the conference’s third championship event held in the Kansas City area in 2008.  The basketball and softball tournaments are also held in the area.