EASLEY — The tournament’s still two weeks out, but the City of Easley is ready for the tenth year that the city’s hosted the Big League Baseball World Series to be the best yet.

This year’s tournament will be played July 28 through August 4 at the J.B. “Red” Owens complex.

Tournament Director Jon Humphrey said hundreds of volunteers have been working hard to prepare for the series and to see that the tournament goes off without a hitch.

The series will see five local teams, five international teams and the local host team square off for eight days of great baseball.

Each team is comprised of 17 players, age 16-18, and three coaches.

The championship game will air live on ESPN at 8 p.m. Wednesday, August 4.

The games will also be aired on the Internet at youthsportslive.com and through ESPN

Fans can also listen to the games on WCCP 104.9 and its Web site, www.wccpfm.com, Humphrey said.

Internet streaming allows families who may not be able to travel to South Carolina to still follow their teams through the tournament, Humphrey said.

Easley benefits from the exposure that hosting the tournament brings, Humphrey said.

“There’s a rumor that people don’t stay in our hotels (during the Series), that they stay in Clemson,” he said. “That’s not the case. They stay in our hotels, they eat at local restaurants, they buy our gas, they buy our snacks.

“They’re spending money to help out our businesses here,” Humphrey said.

Before play starts on July 28, the series will once again officially kick off with a Fan Fest, held in cooperation with radio station B93.7.

Bands Cartel!! and Boys Like Girls will headline the festival, which will also feature a home run derby, Humphrey said.

The bands you see at this year’s Fan Fest could be conquering the charts soon — if they’re not already.

Last year, a rising star played the Fan Fest on his way to superstardom. Pop singer Justin Bieber played the Fan Fest just weeks before he became internationally known.

“It was unbelievable,” Humphrey said. “The kid’s done well.”

Humphrey encouraged residents to support volunteers who take time from their businesses to support the series, or who donate to the series to help its success.

Baptist Easley Hospital is this year’s presenting sponsor for the 2010 Big League Baseball World Series.

For ticket information, visit www.bigleagueworldseries.com or call the Easley Recreation Department at 855-7932.