VANCOUVER, Wash. -- A baseball field's lighting system was wrecked by thieves Monday when thousands of dollars worth of copper wire was stolen.

The theft occurred just as the Cascade Little League was set to host the Washington State Big League Championships. As a result, the tournament games were moved to David Douglas Park on Monday.

For the players, switching fields wasn't a problem. For the volunteers who help organize the Cascade Little League, the theft stretches into foul territory.

"It's all manual labor out here. We do it all ourselves," said Shawn Owens, a league organizer. "Any expense comes out of the pockets of the volunteers and the members of the league."

The thieves moved in sometime overnight and ripped out more than 1,400 feet of wiring from light poles at the field. The wiring weighed more than 500 pounds.

To make matters worse, the lights were just recently installed.

"We just spent about five grand putting this stuff in just a few weeks ago," Owens said. "It's all blood, sweat and tears from everyone out here."

The league vows to have their players running bases under the lights again. Organizes were working to fix the light poles as soon as possible.

"It's a set-back, but again, it's something we'll just have to deal with," Owens said.

The Clark County Sheriff's Office is investigating the case. The championship game of the Big League tournament will be played at the Harmony Complex on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Copper Wire Theft Forces Little League Championships To Move