The 29th annual Sunkist Shootout begins today at St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette with teams from Tennessee and Mississippi joining elite Louisiana programs in a 16-team field.

Central Catholic is the only local school taking part. The Eagles’ (8-1) first game is today against Archbishop Rummel (8-5) at 2:30 p.m. The winner of the Eagles game will face the winner between Country Day (5-7) and Teurlings Catholic (9-7), which tips off at 5:30 p.m.

Ellender (10-5) tipped off the tournament this morning against Comeaux (10-5) at 10 a.m., Carenco (9-5) faced St. Thomas Aquinas (11-2) at 11:30 a.m., St. Louis (5-8) and Vandebilt Catholic (9-4) played at 1 p.m., Episcopal School of Acadiana (10-7) and Shreveport Northwood (5-8) at 4 p.m., hosts St. Thomas More (11-2) faces Carver (1-6) at 7 p.m. and the nightcap pits Memphis area school Mitchell (8-5) against Natchez (7-6) from Mississippi at 8:30 p.m.

The second round begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday with the consolation games and the first winner’s bracket game beginning at 4 p.m.