MERIDIAN — Bill Klinko couldn't help but wipe tears from his eyes as he spoke.

Eight teams, 93 players and numerous spectators were on hand Memorial Day weekend at the Meridian baseball complex — all to honor the memory of his wife, Jill, who died of breast cancer in January.

“Overwhelming ... just overwhelming,” his voice cracked. “This is the sort of thing Jill would do for somebody else.”

The Jill Klinko Memorial Tournament took place Friday through Sunday, with Center Township defeating Hampton in the championship game.

Meridian had two teams and 24 players participating.

But the games themselves took a back seat to their purpose — the recognition of a dedicated youth baseball parent and dugout mom.

“Jill died right at the same time we were holding registration for this season,” tournament organizer Chris Singleton said. “We always hold a tournament and decided to hold one in her memory.”

Klinko's son, 9-year-old Jacob, was bumped up to the Meridian Blue all-star squad for the tournament and drew a walk in his first plate appearance.

“Just seeing his name on the back of his jersey means the world to him,” tournament organizer Chris Singleton said.

Despite battling an aggressive form of breast cancer, Jill Klinko never missed one of her son's Brewers games last year. She was unofficially known as the “dugout mom,” helping to maintain order on the bench and often kept the scorebook.

“She kept those kids organized,” fellow youth baseball mother Rhonda Strawn said. “Jill made sure the kids knew who was on deck ... She maintained order.

“We all knew Jill. The fathers are at the fields coaching and the mothers are working the concession stand bonding.”

Strawn and Nicole Panichelle, wife of Brewers coach Marc Panichelle, ran the concession stand during the tournament.

“Once they found out this tournament was in honor of Jill, they volunteered to work the concessions,” Singleton said.

Marc Panichelle said Jill never let her illness affect her or get her down at the ballfield.

“She was here for these kids, always helping us,” he said. “Jill was happy to be here. She was energetic and fun to joke around with.

“She made a magnetic lineup board that we hung on the fence by the dugout so the kids always knew the batting order. She was always thinking of stuff like that.”

Both Meridian teams wore pink ribbons on their caps in honor of Klinko.

“Jill loved baseball and it showed. She kept those kids relaxed in the dugout. She made it fun,” Panichelle said.

Klinko joined her husband, Bill, 15-year-old daughter Katie and Jacob at 20 Pittsburgh Pirate games last summer.

When it came to the kids, “Jill was always involved,” her husband said.

She coached her daughter's volleyball team at Butler Catholic. She was involved in the school's Secret Santa program as well.

Jill did ample fund-raising for breast cancer research “long before she was diagnosed herself,” Bill Klinko said.

“Those Pirate games represented quality family time to her last summer. She wanted to get in as much of that as she could.”

Jill's sister, Lynn, said she was the big Pirate fan in the family when they were growing up.

“Jill wanted nothing to do with it back then,” her sister said. “I'd make our dad put the Pirates on the car radio and Jill would say 'do we have to listen to that again?'

“When her son took up an interest in baseball, so did she. She was all about family.”

More than $1,000 was generated from the Jill Klinko Memorial Tournament. Much of that money will be used to host a special recognition and memorial night in her honor at a Butler BlueSox game this summer.

The game date is unconfirmed, but Jacob's Meridian Pirates team will throw out the ceremonial first pitch that night. Private suites, game tickets and catering will be provided for the Klinko family and their friends who helped them during the past year.

“Hopefully, this experience taught the kids the valuable lesson of giving back,” Singleton said.