From a number of returning champions to the number of total players, the C.C. Lee Open Tennis Tournament will look a lot like last year’s event.

Action gets under way this morning at the courts at Northern State and will continue through Tuesday afternoon.

“We have 62 entrants,” said tournament director Trent Kurtz, which is the identical total to a year ago. “We had to order more shirts last year and this year, so that’s a good problem to have.”

This year’s field will have kids from South Dakota, as well as Bismarck, Jamestown, and Wahpeton, N.D., in addition to a player from Canada.

Whether players are local or from out of town, Kurtz will know a majority of the players who will be competing.

“You get the in town kids that you’re familiar with, and then a lot of these out of town kids I’m familiar with now doing this for a fifth year in a row here,” Kurtz said. “A lot of them come back every year which is good to have.”

Kurtz will know one returning out of town player particularly well as his former player Mitchell Hofer is back in the field. After playing under Kurtz at Aberdeen Central for two years, Hofer transferred to Sioux Falls Christian last year and ended up winning a Class A state championship at top flight singles this past spring.

“Obviously, good to have him back. Really good player,” Kurtz said. “Be good to see him and the family, and watch him play tennis. Good kid, good family.”

Hofer will reunite with his former Central doubles partner AJ Prehn as they look to defend their C.C. Lee title.

“He and AJ playing doubles will be good to see,” Kurtz said. “They ended up being a pretty good team a couple of years ago. It will be fun to watch those guys.”

The majority of varsity players from both Central and Roncalli will be competing in the tournament.

Kurtz, who used to play in the tournament while growing up, said the biggest challenge in running the event is making sure that players aren’t scheduled to play a singles and a doubles match at the same time.

“If the weather holds and it’s not too hot and no rain, then usually things run pretty smoothly,” Kurtz said.

At the junior level, players are not allowed to sign up for three events, because there is no mixed doubles like there are at adult tournaments.

“As I kid I loved it,” Kurtz said recalling the days when he used to compete in three events at a tourney. “As a tournament director I hate it, because then it really gets tough to schedule.”

Play starts at 8 a.m. each day. The last matches are scheduled for 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

“We try to play all the singles in the morning when it’s a little cooler and doubles in the afternoon,” Kurtz said.