It’s official.

Covington County will host the 2013 Babe Ruth League 16-18 Baseball World Series next August.

County Babe Ruth League officials, state Babe Ruth Comm-issioner Eugene Reynolds and Babe Ruth League vice president and commissioner Robert Faherty Jr., participated in a contract signing on Wednesday night at Hilltop.

“We’re very excited to have the 16-18 World Series here,” Faherty said. “We’re expecting the best teams from around the country to be here.”

There will be nothing like it, Covington County Recreation board member Eddie Stacey said.

“You’re talking about 16-to-18-year-old guys playing. There will be pro and college scouts here,” Stacey said. “It’s going to be the best of the best.”

The World Series will take place on Crum Foshee Field at LBWCC in Andalusia.

Tournament dates will be from Aug. 15-22. Players will arrive on Aug. 13.

Ten teams — eight regional winners, an Alabama state champion and the host team, Covington County — will compete in the World Series.

There will be two separate pools with five teams in each. Twenty games will be played over the first five days in pool play. Each team is guaranteed four games.

The top three seeds from each pool advance to bracket play the final three days of the tournament.

Covington County is no stranger to hosting big-league events.

In 2007, the Babe Ruth organization hosted a 13-15 Baseball World Series, also at LBWCC; and in 2011, Babe Ruth came back once again for the 12U Softball World Series.

Faherty said what attracts the league to Covington County is its people.

“It’s about the people who are here making this kind of commitment to make an event first class and special for our players,” he said.