For the first time in the 68-year history of the Cooper County Baseball Association (COCOBA) Fayette will have a team playing in the league as the season officially opens on May1 in Boonville. Fayette will open the season at 9 a.m. that morning.

On Saturday, the team, consisting of kids 10 years of age and under, played in the annual jamboree. The jamboree, in which each team in the six-team league played two games, was originally set to be played at Harley Park in Boonville but was moved to Boonville High School due to the wet field at Harley Park.

In the first game the Fayette boys went up against Bradley Automotive and came up short 5-4. In the jamboree, games are stopped as soon as they reach a time limit of one hour and 15 minutes.

In the second game, as the rain came down, Fayette was outscored 11-3 by Central Realty. 

Fayette is coached by Matt Vandelicht who is assisted Taylor Frevert. Matt’s wife Jennifer takes care of all the administrative details.

Pilot Grove will also have an entry in the league this year along with four teams from Boonville sponsored by Axis Seed, Bradley Automotive, Central Realty, and Tint Shop.

The Fayette team is sponsored by Frink Trucking, Inovatia Laboratories, Miller, Bales & Company P.C., Emmet’s Kitchen and Tap, Exchange Bank of Missouri, Frevert Farms, Mike and Brenda Kenagy, Duren Farms and George G. Smith & Son, Inc.

Fayette’s team will play in the minors division comprised of players who will not turn 11 years of age until after May 1. COCOBA also has a majors division for older players as well as a midgets division for younger players.