Helper American Legion baseball will make its return Friday as the team plays host to St. George at the Helper Legion Field.

Opening the season under the lights, Friday’s game will be a Southern Division contest and the first of two meetings between the two teams. Loaded with talent, St. George should provide a telling test for Helper right out of the gate. Friday’s contest is slated for an 8:00 p.m. start.

“We’ve got a really tough league this season,” said manager Jeff Cisneros, who will once again lead Helper. “We added Dixie, who just one the 3A State Championship. Pleasant Grove also joined the league, and they’re a big 5A school, so it’s going to be difficult.”

The 2017 schedule will feature nine home games for Helper throughout the regular season, including two against Price on July 18.

Helper will also play host to the opening round of the state championship tournament, regarding the Southern Division. The top eight of nine teams will play in the tournament that will place the top four teams in the state championship bracket the following week.

“Hopefully our local support will be great for that tournament in supporting not only the home team, but of course great baseball,”said Cisneros. “It will be the first time ever that we have had the opportunity to host a divisional tournament.”

This year’s roster features 16 kids, all from Carbon High School. Seniors Jayden Flemett, Wyatt Wilson, Tiger Thayn and Kameron Gunter will lead a rather young team. Taylon Abeyta, a Carbon graduate from the class of 2016, will also return to play out his final year of eligibility.

Following the home opener Helper will travel to Burley, Idaho for a three day tournament on June 8, 9 and 10. The next home game will take place on June 12 against Roosevelt.

Click HERE for a complete 2017 schedule.