The calendar may have flipped to June, but high school baseball is still going strong.

Cherokee County Warrior shortstop Coty Blanchard advanced to the state championship round of the Lions Club East-West All-Stars over the weekend. The semifinals and finals were played at Samford University in Birmingham on Friday and Saturday.

Blanchard and his North teammates fell just short of the title after losing 5-3 to the Birmingham Metro team in the championship game on Saturday.

The North defeated the South on Friday to set up the title game.

Blanchard went a combined 4 for 6 at the plate. He had a home run, stole three bases and scored four runs as a leadoff batter.

Blanchard had 21 hits in 54 at-bats for a .389 batting average for the Warriors this season. The senior-to-be had five doubles, a home run and 19 RBIs. He also scored 17 runs and had eight stolen bases.

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Spring Garden is gearing up to host its second Summer Slam baseball tournament. The dates are June 18-20.

The nine-team, double elimination tournament includes the Panthers, Hokes Bluff, Sand Rock, Collinsville, Ragland, Glencoe, Crossville, Sylvania and Cedartown, Ga.

Sylvania and Ragland get things going on June 18 at 4 p.m., followed by Sand Rock and Cedartown at 5:45 p.m.

Collinsville plays the winner of Sylvania-Ragland on June 19 at 9 a.m. Spring Garden takes on Hokes Bluff at 10:45 a.m., and Glencoe battles Crossville at 12:30 p.m.

The tournament championship is set for June 20 at 5:45 p.m. (7:30 p.m., if necessary).

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Here’s yet another baseball blurb.

The Class 1A, Area 12 baseball coaches have selected their All-Area team.

Cedar Bluff’s Seth Gordon and Gaston’s Dustin Stewart share the honor of Most Valuable Player.

Gordon is joined by teammates Jim Nelson, Jake Bevels, Justin Norton and Curtis Abernathy.

Stewart is joined by teammates Mason Hall, Brandon Parr, Jordan McCartney, Cody Short and Dustin Isbell.

Spring Garden had four selections on the team, including Tyler Messer, Jake Scott, Jeffrey Hammond and Tyler Smart.

Collinsville had three selections in Trey Jones, Trey Reed and Jesse Chandler.

Zac Cavin and Brian Sanford represent Gaylesville. Taylor Smith and Dexter McClendon were selected from Asbury.

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Dates have been finalized for the Cherokee County High School Tennis Camp.

It will be held Aug. 3-4 and 6-7 at the Centre Tennis Courts from 5-7 p.m. The camp is open for kids ages 5-13 and the cost is $30.

The camp teaches the basics of tennis, with drills, games and daily prizes. Tennis balls will be provided, but camp officials request participants bring their own rackets.

For more information, please contact Brooke Tallent at (256) 458-5376.

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Two high school football match-ups will highlight the 2009 Champions Challenge Football Classic, scheduled for Aug. 22 at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl.

Oxford, 8-3 last season in John Grass’ first season as head coach, will face Hoover (13-2) in the large-school contest to kick off at 7:30 p.m.

The small-school game pits 2008 Class 3A state champion Leeds (15-0) against 2008 Class 3A semifinalist T.R, Miller (13-1) of Brewton. That game has a 5 p.m. kick-off.

Tickets for the doubleheader are $10 and are available at the Crampton Bowl on game day.

The Champions Challenge pre-season doubleheader kicks off the 2009 AHSAA football season. No other AHSAA games are scheduled on that day. The regular season will begin the following week with season-opening games Aug. 27-29.