VANCOUVER — There was a good reason for the move.

Just not good enough to keep the tournament away from its true home.

The Curt Daniels Invitational baseball tournament, a fixture in Vancouver for a decade, was played exclusively in Oregon the past two summers.

“Barb Daniels, Curt’s mom, was at a game last year,” tournament director Ben McGrew recalled. “She said, ‘How come we’re not playing over at Bay?'”

Good question.

It turned out that in 2015, the field at Propstra Stadium on the campus of Hudson’s Bay High School was not up to par. So the tournament was moved to a couple of facilities in Portland. It turned out to be convenient, so the tournament stayed there last year, too.

However, as Barb Daniels suggested, and tournament officials agreed, anything associated with Curt Daniels’ name should be in Southwest Washington.

More specifically, at the field that bears his name.

The 2017 edition, which starts Thursday, will return Propstra Stadium, to the field with the former coach’s name on the scoreboard.

“The Curt Daniels tournament should be played at Curt Daniels’ field,” McGrew said. “If the field is in good enough shape to host the tournament, this is where it should be.”

The tournament features 12 teams from the Northwest battling each other over five days at two locations. The players on these club teams are high school athletes as well as some recent graduates.

The Vancouver Cardinals, a team founded by Daniels, and Showtime Baseball out of Battle Ground, will represent Clark County.

Each team will play five games over the first four days. Games will be played Thursday through Sunday at Propstra Stadium and Concordia University in Portland, with the two best teams from each division qualifying for bracket play. The semifinals and title game will be played on what is called Championship Monday.

The number of games and teams make it necessary for two fields to be used. Still, the Cardinals will play the 7 p.m. games at Propstra Stadium on Friday and Sunday. Showtime will play games at Propstra on Thursday and Saturday.

Daniels was the longtime high school coach at Columbia River and then Hudson’s Bay. His Chieftains won a state title in 1984. He also was a fixture of summer baseball and became a major league scout later in his career. Daniels died in 2003.

“It’s a way to keep Curt’s name current in Northwest baseball circles,” McGrew said. “It’s a way to carry on his legacy so people know how big of a baseball icon in the Northwest that he was.”

13th Curt Daniels Invitational
Baseball Tournament

at Propstra Stadium at Hudson’s Bay High School
and at Concordia University in Portland

Cost: $5 per day

Teams

Daniels Division:
Vancouver Cardinals; Portland Baseball Club; Spokane Dodgers; Baden Baseball (Seattle ); Taylor Baseball (Bellevue/Seattle); Federal Way Buzz

Hopkins Division:
Showtime Baseball (Battle Ground/Vancouver/Portland); Narrows Baseball (Gig Harbor/Tacoma); Southridge (Kennewick) Bandits; Seattle Stars; Lakeside Recovery (Bellevue); Boys of Summer (Seattle).

Notes: Taylor Baseball is the defending champion. Has won this event eight times… Portland Basesball Club has won two titles… Boys of Summer from Seattle won the 2014 crown.

Fri., June 29

At Hudson’s Bay HS

• 2 p.m.: Narrows vs. Showtime
• 4:30 p.m.: Lakeside vs. Boys of Summer
• 7 p.m.: Southridge vs. Seattle

At Concordia University

• 1 p.m.: Vancouver Cardinals vs. Portland
• 3:30 p.m.: Taylor vs. Federal Way
• 6 p.m.: Spokane vs. Baden

Fri., June 30

at Hudson’s Bay HS

• 11:30 a.m.: Baden vs. Taylor
• 2 p.m.: Portland vs. Spokane
• 4:30 p.m.: Portland vs. Federal Way
• 7 p.m.: Vancouver Cardinals vs. Federal Way

at Concordia University

• 10:30 a.m.: Seattle vs. Lakeside
• 1 p.m.: Showtime vs. Southridge
• 3:30 p.m.: Showtime vs. Boys of Summer
• 6 p.m.: Narrows vs. Boys of Summer

Sat., July 1

• at Hudson’s Bay HS
• 11:30 a.m.: Lakeside vs. Showtime
• 2 p.m.: Boys of Summer vs. Southridge
• 4:30 p.m.: Narrows vs. Southridge
• 7 p.m.: Narrows vs. Seattle

at Concordia University

• 10:30 a.m.: Taylor vs. Portland
• 1 p.m.: Federal Way vs. Spokane
• 3:30 p.m.: Vancouver Cardinals vs. Spokane
• 6 p.m.: Vancouver Cardinals vs. Baden

Sun., July 2

at Hudson’s Bay HS

• 11:30 a.m.: Baden vs. Portland
• 2 p.m.: Baden vs. Federal Way
• 4:30 p.m.: Spokane vs. Taylor
• 7 p.m.: Vancouver Cardinals vs. Taylor

at Concordia University

• 10:30 a.m.: Southridge vs. Lakeside
• 1 p.m.: Narrows vs. Lakeside
• 3:30 p.m.: Seattle vs. Boys of Summer
• 6 p.m.: Seattle vs. Showtime.

Mon., July 3

Site: TBA

Championship Monday

• 10 a.m.: Daniels Division No. 1 vs. Hopkins Division No. 2
• 1 p.m.: Hopkins Division No. 1 vs. Daniels Division No. 2
• 4 p.m.: Championship game