BROOKINGS — The Brookings Cubs will open the Class A State Amateur Baseball Tournament on Saturday at Bob Shelden Field.

Brookings will be taking on the Renner Monarchs in the opener at 5:30 p.m. The Cubs last played on July 28 because they did not have to qualify for the State Tournament with them being the host of the first weekend. Brookings manager Rhett Zelinsky said the team enjoyed the break but they’ve still been putting in work during the time off.

“We definitely needed a break, but also at the same time we’ve been getting on the field and doing some practice stuff. One of the pros about being such a young group is that a lot of our roster is still in college, so a number of them are staying in baseball shape for fall ball when they have to report [back to school],” Zelinksy said.

Brookings comes into Saturday’s game with a record of 14-5. One of those five losses came to Renner on July 11 as the Cubs fell to Monarchs 12-6. Zelinsky said the Cubs are looking forward to the rematch on Saturday.

“Renner is one of the more prolific amateur teams in the state, if not the most. We’re excited for the challenge. I think it will be a good matchup and probably one of the best games that the fans will get to see this weekend,” Zelinksy said.

In the Cubs five losses they’ve averaged five runs per game and in their wins they’ve averaged 10.8. Zelinsky said if they want to avoid a slow offensive performance they have to be aggressive in the box.

“We know we’re going to see a really polished pitcher, so we just have to be aggressive in the zone early. Try to pick one to drive and not get into those high leverage counts where the pitcher can work a strikeout and keep guys off the bases,” Zelinsky said.

The Cubs have a solid rotation on the mound with guys like Tucker Wookey, Zach Shastay and Jake Ammann. Zelinsky said he likes the options he has on his pitching staff because they are all different.

“[The pitchers] just need to continue to do their thing. I think just the amount of talent combined with the stuff that some of our pitchers have compliments each other well. For example, going from a hard throwing righty to a slower, craftier lefty works in our favor when facing a good lineup like Renner’s,” Zelinsky said.

Brookings will play host to seven other games this weekend. The action will begin on Friday night when Yankton plays the Sioux Falls Flying Squirrels at 5:30 p.m. and the Sioux Falls Brewers will take on Black Hills A’s after that game. The losers of those two games will meet in an elimination game on Saturday at 11 a.m. and the two winners will follow.

The loser of Brookings and Renner will play on Sunday at 11 a.m. and will play the loser of Aberdeen and the Rapid City Diamondbacks in an elimination game. The winners of those two games will play after the losers on Sunday.

Zelinsky said having this first weekend of the State Tournament in Brookings should be a big advantage for the Cubs.

“It’s like having home field advantage without saying it’s home field advantage. The fact that we’re more familiar with this field than any other team in the state [helps]. With it being turf it’s not totally a factor, but knowing the dimensions and how the outfield plays and what the backstop does, as well as the view from the pitcher and picking up the ball from the pitcher’s hands. We’ve had way more at bat’s here at Bob Shelden than anyone else has and I think it should work in our favor,” Zelinsky said.

As Zelinsky noted earlier, the Cubs have a young roster and some of the guys have not played in the State Tournament before. Zelinsky said his message to the team before the game on Saturday is going to be to just have fun.

“[I’m going to tell the new guys] that baseball is a game and baseball games are supposed to be fun. Don’t let the moment get bigger than it actually is. You’re playing a baseball game with some of your best friends at the end of the summer and you don’t need to make it more intense and have the kind of pressure that overwhelms you in a certain situation. Just go out and have fun,” Zelinsky said.