YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea — Eight men’s teams and three Korean women’s teams have signed up so far for the 18th Pacificwide Open Softball Tournament, scheduled for May 23-26 at the Lombardo Field FourPlex on Yongsan’s South Post.

The event, the first stop on the annual Pacific interservice softball Grand Slam circuit, is open to the first 32 men’s and 16 women’s teams that pay the $200 entry fee by May 14, organizers said.

The International Guzzlers of South Korea will be going for their fifth consecutive men’s title. Sang Ji University, a Korean college team, will defend the women’s championship.

Other men’s teams signed up include American Legion of Okinawa, Heat 3N2 of Korea, Los Guzzleros of Korea, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and Yokota Air Base of Japan, a military team from Hawaii and a civilian team from Hong Kong.

Free open-bay billeting is available at the Walker Center on South Post, with priority going to out-of-country teams; others will be billeted at Trent Gym on main post.

Transportation to and from the airport will be available, as will shuttle service from billeting to fields throughout the event.

Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. May 23, with play beginning at 9. The championship games are scheduled for Monday afternoon.

For information, phone Bennie L. Jackson at DSN 738-8608, commercial 0505-738-8608 in Korea, +82-505-738-8608 outside Korea or e-mail bennie.l.jackson@us.army.mil or jacksonbe@korea.army.mil.

Bad weather, wet grounds force postponements in JapanHeavy rain that began Tuesday and was forecast to last into Friday forced DODDS-Japan administrators and athletics officials to postpone eight soccer and three baseball games scheduled for this weekend.

Matthew C. Perry and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni were to host Nile C. Kinnick’s girls and E.J. King’s boys soccer teams. But standing water on Penny Lake Field have made play impossible, officials said.

“Our field is under water,” Perry girls coach Chris Anderson said.

Robert D. Edgren’s baseball team trip to Kinnick also was scratched. Kinnick athletic director Nico Hindie reported 3 inches of standing water on Yokosuka Naval Base’s Berkey Field.

No immediate makeup dates were announced.

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