Lehigh Valley Carpenter Cup baseball will be back in action this weekend when the club kick starts their tryout process for the all-star team's hopeful run in the summer baseball tournament.

Franchise founder and general manager, J.F. Pirro had the initial tryouts get under way on Sunday, May 10, at 9 a.m. at DeSales. The second tryout will occur on May 17.

Tryouts will run through the month of May, as teams will be selected by June 1.

The franchise opens Carpenter Cup play on June 17 against Tri-Cape (NJ) at 12:30 p.m. at Ashburn Field at FDR Park in Philadelphia.

The Lehigh Valley team had an early exodus from the prestigious tournament last season, losing to Burlington County 8-4 in a rain-shortened contest, to knock the LV team out of the first round for the first time since 2006.

With titles in 1998, 2001 an 2011, the LV franchise hopes it can make a lengthy run in the tournament this time around, as the eventual champion needs to win four contests for the title. The semifinal and championship games are slated for June 22-23 at Citizens Bank Park.

The prestigious Philadelphia Phillies-sponsored tournament will run at the new $2 million-dollar Ashburn Field in FDR Park and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The Carpenter Cup is an elite 16-team, tri-state all-star baseball tournament that's long been considered one of the nation's pre-eminent scholastic baseball tournaments. It has attracted up to 400 professional and collegiate scouts and coaches.

Area players (grades 9-12) are eligible to participate in the open tryouts, but are encouraged to have a varsity coach's recommendation. The select team will be made up of the area's best seniors, as well as some of the top underclassmen from the area.

Participants and their parents/guardians must sign and complete a waiver of release, consent and authorization as well as a "Player Profile" from the Phillies before tryouts.

Forms will be collected at the meeting May 7, and also before the first tryout on May 10.

Complete schedule for the Lehigh Valley tryout process is listed below:

May 17

9-10:30 a.m. Infielder/catcher tryouts (hitting off available B.P. & live pitchers)

10:30 a.m.-noon Outfielder tryouts (hitting off available B.P. & live pitchers)

May 23-24

9-10:30 a.m. Infielder/catcher tryouts (hitting off available B.P. & live pitchers)

10:30 a.m.-noon Outfielder tryouts (hitting off available B.P. & live pitchers)

May 30

911 a.m. All positions, pitchers combined tryout (hitting off available B.P. & live pitchers)

May 31

9 a.m. – noon Final tryout & selections, team meeting, registration information

June 1

3 p.m. The 25-man roster is due to the Phillies.

June 13 & 14

9-11 a.m. Final team practice, pre-game routine, uniforms, directions, signs, conduct, strategy-approach

June 15

8:3011:30 a.m. The return of Skills Day at FDR Park for each franchise's selected underclassmen.

June 17

12:30 p.m. Opening round game: L.V. vs. Tri-Cape [N.J.] at Ashburn Field in FDR Park.

Remaining games (times): June 19 (2 p.m.) vs. winner Jersey Shore-Burlington County at Ashburn Field, June 22 (1 p.m.) Semifinals at Citizens Bank Park and June 23 (10 a.m.) Championship Game at Citizens Bank Park. L.V. is the visiting team in every game in the tournament except the championship game.