For eight years, the Joseph X. Vasconcelos Memorial Baseball Tournament has raised money for Wareham High School scholarships. However, organizers said they’ll swing for a loftier goal in the near future.

“The long-term plan is to open a center for grieving children here in town,” said Roseann DeGrenier, a tournament organizer. “It would be open to anyone, children and their families, who have suffered a loss.”

DeGrenier’s nephew – the tournament’s namesake – died in a car crash at the age of 21 in 2009. He was a 2006 graduate of Wareham High School who loved baseball.

Each year, the tournament raises approximately $7,000, which funds two high school scholarships. The tournament took place Saturday at Spillane Field.

“Lots of [Vasconcelos’s] classmates and friends are here,” said DeGrenier. “Everyone worked hard to make today a success.”

This marked the fourth year the tournament has teamed up with the Gateway Babe Ruth Regional League.

The tournament serves as an All-Star game for the league as the two best players from each of the league’s 32 teams are selected for the competition. League teams span from the Outer Cape to New Bedford.

On Saturday, 80 players came together for three baseball games.

“This is a great day for baseball, and all of the kids are playing for a great cause,” said Gateway Babe Ruth Regional League President Mike Messina. “We do what we can to help out.”

Donations for the Joseph X. Vasconcelos are accepted year round. Mail checks to: Attention: Roseann DeGrenier, 2667 Cranberry Highway, Wareham MA 02571.