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Steamboat Springs — Things will be a little black and blue, with maybe some red and orange at Vanatta at Howelsen on July 17.

The finals in the Yampa Valley Baseball League have been set, pitting the Black Team composed of mostly current or past Steamboat Springs High School baseball players, against the Blue Team, which only has around five players from their original roster.

In other words, the Blue squad will have to recruit from the other teams in order to make a roster, but the attitude in the adult men's league is lax enough that it shouldn't be a problem.

Tom Larson, a league organizer, said that's exactly what he and many of the men that come out want in a summer activity. They aren't seeking a pull-their-hair-out pastime, particularly in a sport they love so much.

With that said, however, Larson noted the change in competitive play this year compared to years past.

"The quality of the play this year is as good as it has ever been," he said.

Larson, and a handful of other men, have been around since the Yampa Valley League started four years ago with one Steamboat team and a couple squads from Craig. At the onset of this season, Larson said he had enough names to produce four teams. The unpredictability of summer schedules hasn't permitted the four full squads to take form, but a quartet of colors remains represented.

"It's about getting the word out," he said on increasing the numbers and exposure. "People find out about our league from word of mouth."

If that's the case, they may have the perfect ambassadors in the team heavily favored to win the title at 7 p.m.next Wednesday.

The Black Team, self-named Team Ego by members Corey Beck and Dusty "Dirt" Henning, are already predicting an easy win, and if they play as they did in Wednesday evening's semifinals, their bold statement just may come true.

After helping the Blue team to a 7-0 victory in the first game, the Black Team came back in the second half of Wednesday's doubleheader ready to pounce upon their orange competition.

Tyler Fosdick, a returning member of the Sailors team, led off the game with a single, signaling things to come. The next four batters reached base, three of whom walked. All five came around to score en route to the home team scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first.

The Black Team, behind the pitching of Preston Stanfill, another Sailors' returner, along with Beck, held the Orange Team, to just one run in four innings, winning 14-1. The lone run for the visitors came off one Ben Hallgren swing in the top of the fourth.

"It's fun to play these games because it keeps me at the top of my game," Beck said.

Come July 17 on Vanatta, Beck and the rest of his Black squad teammates will have the perfect opportunity to finish at the top of the league.

To reach Melinda Mawdsley call 871-4208 or e-mail mmawdsley@steamboatpilot.com