State Softball Tournament Returns to Owensboro
The State Softball Tournament will return to Owensboro for the second consecutive year when teams will hit the fields at Jack C. Fisher Park Sept. 5-7.
Teams qualified to compete in the bracketed State Tournament via Regional Tournaments in Paducah (Aug. 2), Georgetown (Aug. 8-9) and Louisville (Aug. 8-9). More than thirty teams will take part in the State Tournament, competing in multiple divisions. Teams that did not qualify for the State Tournament had the option of competing in the Team Skills Competition, where each athlete is scored for the completion of skills including hitting, baserunning and throwing and catching. Several teams are expected to take part in that competition.
This is the Tournament’s second run in Owensboro. The event was held at Fisher Park from 2001 to 2007 before moving to Bowling Green in 2008.
Games will get underway on four fields at 6 pm (CT) on Friday night. Games will continue starting at 9 am on Saturday and the tournament will conclude on Sunday with games starting at 9. The Team Skills Competition will take place on Saturday starting at noon.
There will also once again be Party at the Pier for the athletes on the Saturday night of Tournament at Kentucky Legend Pier and the Owensboro Convention Center.
The Tournament’s return to Owensboro a year ago was a huge hit with athletes, coaches and fans, and was greeted with overwhelming support from the community.
“We are all so excited to be returning to Owensboro for the State Tournament,” said Special Olympics Kentucky Senior Director of Sports and Programs Holly Vincent. “Fisher Park is one of the premier facilities in the state and our athletes and our program felt so welcomed here last year by the whole community.”
Softball is the second most popular team sport in the Special Olympics Kentucky program with more than 900 athletes competing on 65 teams statewide this season.
The State Softball Tournament and Team Skills Competition is sponsored by Host Sponsors The Owensboro Department of Parks and Recreation and Visit Owensboro; Gold Sponsor Owensboro Health; Silver Sponsors Independence Bank and Owensboro Christian Church; Bronze Sponsors Civitan Region Six and Forvis; and Supporting Sponsors Clark Distributing, River Valley Behavioral Health and Wendell Foster; and Special Olympics Kentucky Year-Round Partners Jersey Mike’s, Texas Roadhouse and Toyota Motor Corporation.
For information about the State Softball Tournament or the Special Olympics Kentucky softball program, or to find out how you can get involved, contact Holly Vincent at 502-695-8222 or hvincent@soky.org.