The 2011 baseball season in the Midlands begins this weekend with two preseason tournaments – Comporium and the Carolina Ale House Classic.

The Comporium tournament is a 16-team affair that will utilize three sites and run Feb. 25 to March 5. Pool games at Saluda, Pelion and Gilbert are slated for Friday and Saturday this weekend and Monday through Friday next week.

Five place games will be at Gilbert on March 5, beginning at 9 a.m. and running through the championship game that is slated to start at 7 p.m.

The Comporium teams include hosts schools Swansea, Pelion and Gilbert, plus Batesburg-Leesville, Columbia, Mid-Carolina, Bishop England, Summerville, Strom Thurmond, Saluda, Wagener-Salley, Williston-Elko, Ridge Spring-Monetta, North, Orangeburg Prep, and Edisto.

Irmo and Airport will serve as the host sites for the eight-team, two-division Carolina Ale House Classic. Chapin, Dreher, Richland Northeast, Dutch Fork, Lugoff-Elgin and Lower Richland are the six other teams in the field. Action runs Saturday through March 5.

This weekend’s games include:

COMPORIUM

Friday, Feb. 25

Swansea -North vs. Swansea, 4:30 p.m.; Orangeburg Prep vs. Edisto, 7 p.m. Pelion - Pelion vs. Columbia, 4:30 p.m.; Saluda vs. Wagener-Salley, 7 p.m. Gilbert - Gilbert vs. Mid-Carolina, 4:30 p.m.; Bishop England vs. Summerville, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 26

Swansea -Williston-Elko vs. Swansea, 10 a.m.; Orangeburg Prep vs. North, 12:30 p.m.; Batesburg-Leesvillevs. Edisto, 3 p.m. Pelion - Wagener-Salley vs. Pelion, 10 a.m. Columbia vs. Ridge Spring-Monetta, 12:30 p.m. Gilbert - Summerville vs. Gilbert, 10 a.m.; Summerville vs. Saluda, 12:30 p.m.; Mid-Carolina vs. Bishop England, 3 p.m.; Bishop England vs. Strom Thurmond, 5 p.m.

CAROLINA ALE HOUSE CLASSIC

Saturday, Feb. 26

Irmo -Dreher vs. Chapin, noon; Richland NE vs. Irmo, 3 p.m. Airport - Lugoff-Elgin vs. Airport, noon; Dutch Fork vs. Lower Richland, 3 p.m.