What would Fourth of July weekend in Kenosha be like without picnics, fireworks ... and women’s baseball?

Local baseball fans don’t have to worry about that scenario because for the second consecutive summer one of the biggest women’s baseball tournaments in the country is returning to Kenosha.

The 2009 Women’s Hall of Fame Classic — featuring eight teams and players in their early teens through early 50s — will be played today through Sunday at Simmons Field and Carthage College. There are basically two divisions, with the “competitive division” championship game scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday at Simmons.

There is no admission charge for games at either site. Concessions and tournament-related souvenirs will be available at Simmons.

A previous commitment prevented John Kovach from attending last year’s tournament, but the manager of the South Bend (Ind.) Blue Sox heard so many good things about it that he decided to bring his team here and also coordinate this year’s event, which was run last year by the Men’s Senior Baseball League.

“Everyone who played last year thought it was not only a fun venue but the historical aspect,” Kovach said of Simmons Field, home from 1948-1951 of the Kenosha Comets of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

The AAGPBL was immortalized in the 1992 movie, “A League of Their Own,” and a handful of players from the league are expected to attend this weekend.

“It was very evident at the end of last year that already teams who wanted to come back, and before we actually sent out any sort of advertisements to the women’s baseball community I had four teams that were already committed to this,” continued Kovach. “So far, this is the largest women’s baseball tournament of the year (in the United States).”

Shoreland Lutheran graduate Heather Novotny, coming off a recent stint playing baseball in South Korea, is on the Blue Sox roster.

In addition to the Blue Sox, there are two teams entered from Ontario, Canada, two from Chicago, one from Washington state, one from Washington, D.C. and one from New England.