It’s a rite of passage each year as June turns to July: hundreds of youngsters descending on Wheeling to take part in the annual Beast of the East baseball tournament.

The event has held strong for 34 years, remaining one of the largest youth tournaments in the eastern U.S. And despite what organizers are calling a website issue that limited entrants this year to only 24 teams — the Beast at its best had more than 160 teams — the event continues to have a big impact on our area.

The Beast is a regional event, with games being played on fields from Wheeling and Moundsville to Jefferson County, Ohio.

The opening games see their first pitches today, with more games to follow until champions are crowned on Sunday. Those who have frequented area restaurants this week already have seen the effects of having hundreds of additional teenagers and their families here.

“I did not want to cancel the tournament because you never know if you’ll be able to start it again,” Bo McConnaughy, one of the tournament’s founders, said. “A smaller tournament is better than no tournament.”

That’s great news, as the tournament has an economic impact in the millions of dollars for the local area.

We offer our best to those players taking part this year. Play ball!