As Grand Park continues to re-open, there is one sure signs of things getting back to normal this week: The sights and sounds of baseball.
Grand Park is hosting two big baseball tournaments this week. First is the Midwest Prospect League, which began on Tuesday and runs through Sunday.
A total of 141 teams from ages 13U to 17U are participating in this event. While there are several teams from Hamilton County and nearby cities, in addition to squads from nearby states, such as Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Kansas.
All teams are guaranteed at least five games, which are played in a round-robin event with teams assigned to different pools in their age division. There is no champion in the event; rather, a description of the tournament on the BullPen website said it is designed “for players to showcase their talents in front of colleges.”
The 16U and 17U teams wrap up play today, while 15U teams started on Thursday and play through Sunday. The other two divisions, 13U and 14U, begin play today and also go through Sunday.
Meanwhile, younger players are competing for the Youth Amateur Baseball Championships, which began Thursday and also continues through Sunday. There are 84 teams signed up for the tournament, which features play in five age groups, from 8U to 12U, with two divisions, D1 and D2. Each team plays four pool games, then advance to bracket play on Saturday night, leading up to the championship games on Sunday.
Admission for both tournaments is $10 per day, with a weekend pass available for $25. Keep in mind that due to safety regulations in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some parts of the field where access is restricted and spectators must use certain paths to get to where they want to go.
Next week, Grand Park will host the 13 Amateur Baseball Championship. This tournament runs from June 24 to 28, and features 63 teams competing for the championship. Teams from Noblesville, Westfield, Fishers and Carmel are schedule to compete, along with other Indiana squads. There will be a large out-of-state presence as well, with Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin teams also participating.
Just like this week’s youth tournament, teams in the 13 event play four games of pool play during the week, then advance to bracket play that weekend for the championship. There will be two divisions, D1 and D2, in this tournament.
Also next week, Prep Baseball Report (PBR) will conduct the PBRT Great Lakes National Qualifier at Grand Park. There will be four age groups competing, 14U to 17U, with 16 teams in each group. Winning teams will receive a free bid into PBR’s 2020 Fall National Championship, which takes place at LakePoint in Emerson, Ga.
The cost is $10 per day, or $20 for a weekend pass. Senior citizens (those age 65 and up), can get a $5 day pass or $15 weekend pass. Children 12 and under will be admitted free.
The House of Sportz Hustlers, an 11U team from Bourbonnais, Ill., gathers at the end of the inning. The Hustlers are competing in the Youth Amateur Baseball Championship at Grand Park this week. (Richie Hall)