Eight teams from all over New York State will be heading to the Southern Tier this weekend as Owego Little League hosts the Under 10 State Championship at Hyde Park for the first time. 

Owego's bid earned them hosting rights to the tournament for the next three years and provides section winners the opportunity to compete for a spot in the East Regional Invitational Tournament. 

The fields at Hyde Park have received major renovations over the past few years, including new scoreboards and lights for night games.

"We have some of the best, if not the best facilities in all of New York State to host an event like that," said Executive Board member John Loftus.

Owego Little League is one of the few Little League organizations left that does not charge participants and has not done so in its 65-year history.

"We take a lot of pride in that," said Scott Rollison, Owego Little League President. "We rely heavily on community involvement to keep opportunities coming for our children and youth programs."

One of the teams competing in Owego this weekend is Vestal's U10 team, who defeated Liverpool last Saturday for the chance to win back-to-back section titles.

Opening ceremonies begin on Saturday at noon and games begin on Sunday.