ELLSWORTH — Three youngsters from Hancock County may have the baseball thrill of a lifetime when they travel this week to Cooperstown, N.Y., home of baseball’s legendary Hall of Fame.

Bryce Harmon, Taylor Schildroth and Stefan Simmons, who played for the Coastal All-stars of the Blue Hill area in Little League summer baseball for ages 11-12, will be part of the 11-member Black Bear North team, which also includes players from the Bangor and Waldo County areas.

James Harmon of Surry  and Corey Schildroth of Blue Hill, who coached the Coastal team over the summer, will also be traveling with the Black Bear North team.

“I think it’s going to be quite an experience for the kids,” said Harmon this week.

Brett Hoogterp, athletic director at Old Town High School, began planning for the trip a year ago since a commitment to play has to be made by the end of September of the preceding year.

The tournament, which will include divisions for ages 9-10 and 11-12, is a big one, with 104 teams from across the country scheduled to compete.

Harmon said Hootterp had coached some of the boys in AAU basketball and knew they played baseball as well.

He decided to put together a team in part because he wanted to give his son, Ryan, the same experience that his older brother, Eric, enjoyed on a similar trip several years ago, said Harmon.

The planning involved a lot of fund-raising — about $80 per player and coach — to meet the cost of the trip, including meals, lodging and uniforms.

The team held basketball tournaments as fundraisers and received donations from numerous local sponsors.

But the youngsters get a pretty good package when they get there, said Harmon, including home and away jerseys, hats and socks, a pullover jacket, a bat bag, a Cooperstown ring and a free pass to Hall of Fame.

And they will be plenty of baseball at the monstrous 22-field Cooperstown Dreams Park facility.

Opening ceremonies will be held tomorrow (Friday) under the lights, with activities including throwing, fielding and running competitions and an always popular home run derby.

Pool play will stretch over Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, with each team playing two games a day against opponents selected by alphabetical order, said Harmon.

After that, the teams will be ranked and the single elimination playoff process will get under way.

The fields are similar to those used in the Little League season, with a 200-foot fence, he said, but the bases are extended to 70 feet, the pitcher’s mound is moved back a bit and the runners are allowed to lead off before the ball is pitched.

Harmon said the Black Bear North team includes some talented all-star players from Little League Divisions 1 and 3.

“The kids all love the game and they are really fun to coach,” he said. “Almost every player on the team can pitch, and with all these pitchers and great fielders, the hardest part is making up the lineups and deciding where each kid will play.”

In addition to the three Coastal players and Hoogterp’s son, Ryan, the team will include Emmett Shell of Montville; Zach Nash, Christian Greener and Jordan LaFrance of Hermon; Alex McKenney of Bangor; and Dylan Stanley and Casey Sudbeck of Hampden.

Harmon noted that, while some teams will have been assembled expressly to try and win the tournament, others will be participating more for the experience.

“You don’t know who you’re going to play,” he said, “but no matter what, it will be fun.”

For more sports news, pick up a copy of The Ellsworth American.