YORK, Pa. — The 2020 fastpitch Wiffle Ball national champion will be crowned this, October at PeoplesBank Park in York, Pennsylvania. United Wiffle Ball announced today that its inaugural national championship tournament will take place on Saturday, October 24, at the home stadium of the Atlantic League’s York Revolution.
“The history of season-ending fast pitch competitive Wiffle Ball tournaments dates back more than thirty years and spans many different organizations,” said Tim Cooke, director of York-based Mid Atlantic Wiffle and United Wiffle Ball committee member. “We are thrilled to be able to introduce our version of the national championship in a first-class ballpark with our partners at the York Revolution.”
This will be the first year that the national championship is held in Pennsylvania.
"Over the years, we have had the privilege of hosting many exciting competitions at PeoplesBank Park, and we are very pleased to add to that list the first-ever United Wiffle Ball tournament," said York Revolution President Eric Menzer. "The key to the many thrilling and successful events hosted on our field has always been great partnerships with talented and passionate organizations, and we're fortunate to have found that again in United Wiffle Ball."
Fastpitch competitive Wiffle Ball is a scaled-down version of baseball that utilizes the 8-hole
Wiffle Ball produced by the family-owned Wiffle Ball, Inc. Keeping with the backyard roots of the ball, the fastpitch sport eschews 25-man rosters, nine-person defensive alignments, and base running in favor of five-man teams, four-player defensives, and ghost runners. A Wiffle Ball field is roughly one-fourth the size of a standard professional ballpark which will allow for upwards of eight temporary Wiffle Ball fields to be constructed within PeoplesBank Park.
The fields will incorporate many of the unique aspects of the PeoplesBank Park, including the 37 foot, 8 inches “Arch Nemesis” left-field wall.
"It's always exciting to apply what we know to a new sport," said York Revolution Head Groundskeeper Chris Carbaugh. "But no matter what that sport is, it requires a top-notch field and premium conditions to ensure equal play and maximum excitement. We are looking forward to providing that for fastpitch Wiffle Ball at PeoplesBank Park."
What fast pitch Wiffle Ball gives up in scale relative to baseball, it more than makes up for with the athleticism, skill, and passion of its competitors. Among the players expected to compete at the inaugural United Wiffle Ball national championship tournament are current and former collegiate athletes, pitchers who have been clocked throwing the plastic ball in excess of 90 MPH, and individuals who have spent decades traveling the country all for the love of their chosen sport.
“When your baseball playing days end or you need that baseball fix, Wiffle Ball is the perfect sport for you,” said David Wood, United Wiffle Committee Member, and veteran player. “Wiffle Ball can bring out the real competitor in you. It can make you feel like you’ve reached your childhood dream of making it to the major leagues. This event will not only encompass the best play on the field but also the best atmosphere that the game has ever seen.”
For more information, please visit the United Wiffle web site at www.unitedwiffleball.com.
SOURCE: United Wiffleball
