REINBECK -- The City of Reinbeck is set for its annual Fourth of July celebration this weekend.

And, regardless of what the event's schedule says, a significant fireworks display appears set to go off at Gladbrook-Reinbeck's baseball field Saturday night.

On that evening, around 7 p.m., fifth-ranked Gladbrook-Reinbeck (28-2) is set to host a district opener for the first time ever, according to school officials. It's opponent: an equally tough Hudson squad, ranked ninth in Class 2A.

"Hudson's playing well and we're playing well," noted first-year Rebels coach Caleb Hamer. "It's too bad that two teams with that good of records have to meet in the first round."

The Rebels' main strength is their pitching staff, which has registered 20 complete games this season. The junior triumvirate of Scott Benson, Brett Bengen and Drew Babinat lead a group with a staff ERA of 2.70. Benson is 10-0.

Ray Harrington's Pirates, conversely, are a band of mashers who had hit a total of 22 home runs entering the week. Three Pirates -- Chance Chilcote, John Buzynski and Zach Holbach -- are hitting .400 or better.

Chilcote, especially, has produced almost unthinkable stats: a .523 batting average, 10 home runs and 44 stolen bases.

This showdown figures to inspire a standing-room only crowd.

Grab a lawn chair, Reinbeck: This should be good.

DOME SWEET DOME: This was a far-cry from your average Friday night doubleheader.

There was no P.A. announcer and very few fans, yet baseball players from Waterloo Columbus and Crestwood had the time of their lives, as the Sailors knocked off Crestwood, 9-7, in Minneapolis' Metrodome on June 27.

It was late at night, under reduced lighting, in a cavernous stadium. Still, it felt so right.

"It was great for the players, fans and coaches -- it's a chance to play in a major league ballpark," said Columbus coach Terry Goerdt, whose squad played in the dome after a Minnesota Twins-Milwaukee Brewers contest.

Columbus players sold 130 tickets to the night's major league game to help fund for the stadium's rental fee, which is $400 per hour.

The prep players had a night to remember.

"The most telling thing is that on Senior Night … 90 percent of (the Sailors) say playing in the Metrodome" was their favorite memory, noted Goerdt, who has made treks to Minnesota a ritual.

Northeast Iowa baseball teams -- including Upper Iowa University -- might not have the possibility to play in the Metrodome much longer. Both the Twins and the Minnesota Vikings will vacate the stadium by 2011, making the future of the facility uncertain.

DANIELS EARNS ACCOLADES: Waterloo West's Larry Daniels has pulled off a repeat.

The Wahawk coach earned the Iowa Girls Coaches Association's Class 4A Northeast District Coach of the Year award for the second straight year. Daniels earned the honor after leading West to an MVC Valley Division title this spring.

"It's a great honor to be recognized by your peers," said Daniels, who took over a last-place girls squad at West five years ago. "To get to the point we're at is a real sense of achievement."

Contact Kelly Beaton at (319) 291-1456 or kelly.beaton@wcfcourier.com