New Rockford Hosting State Babe Ruth Baseball Tournament
June 30th, 2014 – New Rockford will host the 2014 State Babe Ruth Baseball Tournament this August 1-5, for players ages 13-15. The tournament will bring in seven teams from around the state, as well as the Sheyenne-New Rockford Black Sox team, to compete in double-elimination rounds for the state title.
The tournament is being coordinated by a volunteer committee, together with the New Rockford Park District and New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation (NRABC). NRABC’s Executive Director, Sarah Smith Warren says, “A tournament of this scale will bring hundreds of visitors into our community, and we want to provide the best possible experience for players, coaches, officials and spectators.”
The tournament kicks off the night of July 31 with a meet-and-greet barbeque at the ballpark, sponsored by Bank Forward, and an all-players breakfast the next morning sponsored by the New Rockford Eagles Club. Four games will be played the first day, with opening ceremonies held the evening of Aug 1. Four more games will be held on Aug 2, three games on Aug 3, three on Aug 4, and championship play on August 5.
Community activities and events are being planned to welcome players and their families to spend time in town between games. All players will stay with local host families throughout the tournament, as an integral part of the tournament experience, helping them enjoy and form a bond with the host community. Anyone interested in opening their home to visiting players please contact Connie Soderholm at (701) 302-0328 for more information.
The tournament committee is also seeking volunteers to help with tickets, concessions, programs, field crew, etc. Tournament Manager Drew Kline says, “It takes lots of volunteer effort to organize and staff an event like this for our youth. We’ve had enormous community support so far, and hope people can come out to cheer on the teams and volunteer for a few hours to make the event enjoyable and memorable for all involved.”
The tournament is also partially funded by community and business sponsorships. Space is still available in the souvenir tournament programs for sponsor ads, with a deadline of July 14 for inclusion. Please contact Drew Kline at (570) 449-8894 or Sarah Smith Warren at (701) 947-2205 for more information, to sign up for volunteer shifts (many to choose from, first-come first-serve), or with any questions.