Southwest Athletics of Clemmons to Host 2017 Cal Ripken Major/60 World Series

10-day tournament to be held in August, 2017, featuring teams from around the country

Southwest Athletics, the premier baseball and softball organization in the Triad for players ages 4-18, and Babe Ruth League, Inc., recently announced that Southwest Athletics will serve as the host of the 2017 Cal Ripken Major/60 World Series. Southwest Athletics, formerly known as Southwest Forsyth Little League, was chosen over a number of sites across the country.

The 2017 Cal Ripken Major/60 World Series will bring 10 – 16 of the best 12-year-old teams from across the country, to the Clemmons and Winston-Salem areas. These teams will have won their district, state, and regional tournaments, representing the most talented teams of the more than one million youth who play Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken baseball. The 10-day World Series tournament is held in a “pool play” format, with the teams with the two best records from each of the four divisions reaching the championship bracket. Other participating teams will compete in a consolation bracket. Both brackets will compete in a single-elimination format until the 2017 Cal Ripken Major/60 World Series Champion is crowned. All games will be played at the Southwest Athletics complex in Clemmons.

“Southwest Athletics is incredibly proud to host the 2017 Cal Ripken Major/60 World Series,” said Barry Leonard, president of the Southwest Athletics Board of Directors. “Being chosen is a testament to our great facilities and the tireless work of our volunteers. It also speaks volumes about the support our organization has in the local community, which made a tremendous impression on Babe Ruth League organizers.”

“We are very excited to bring the 2017 Cal Ripken Major/60 World Series to Southwest Athletics and the Clemmons area,” said Robert Faherty, vice president and commissioner of Babe Ruth League. “Southwest’s facilities are among the best in the country, and the support of the organization by volunteers, families and the business community is second-to-none. We look forward to a fun and exciting event – and some great youth baseball – in Clemmons in 2017.”

In addition to the 2017 Major/60 World Series, Southwest Athletics will host a number of Babe Ruth Baseball/Cal Ripken Baseball tournaments during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, including:

• The 2016 Major 60 state championship tournament,
• The 2016 10u baseball state tournament
• The 15u baseball state tournament
• 2016 state softball tournaments for all Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken divisions
• The 2017 Major/70 regional baseball tournament
• The 2017 Major/60 regional baseball tournament

“Now the real work begins,” Leonard continued. “Our goal is to host a first-rate event that will showcase our organization and Babe Ruth League baseball to our community, and the Clemmons, Lewisville and Winston-Salem communities to those families and fans who visit us for this great event. We feel that this World Series is the beginning of many great events in the years to come with the Babe Ruth League, and we are excited to get started.”

 

Want to know more about the Babe Ruth League or Southwest Athletics?

Founded in 1951, the Babe Ruth League, Inc., using regulation competitive baseball and softball rules, teaches skills, mental and physical development, a respect for the rules of the game, and basic ideals of sportsmanship and fair play for children 4-18. In all aspects, Babe Ruth League, Inc. is committed to providing its participants the very best educational, sports experience possible. It is the organization’s fundamental belief that every child with a desire to play baseball or softball be afforded that opportunity. Since 1999, the Babe Ruth League’s Youth divisions have operated as Cal Ripken Baseball, with a vision to provide every youngster the opportunity to play baseball, learn life lessons and have fun. Currently, more than 7,300 organizations worldwide are a part of the Babe Ruth League. For more information, please visit www.baberuthleague.org.

Southwest Athletics was established in 1963 by E.K. Whitener as Southwest Forsyth Little League to fill the area’s void of little league baseball in the area. Located at Poindexter Field on Dillon Industrial Drive in Clemmons, Southwest Forsyth Little League has featured numerous championship teams throughout its history, with more than 60 district, state and regional titles. In 2016, the organization became Southwest Athletics and affiliated itself with the Babe Ruth League. Currently, more than 1,000 players from ages 4-18 participate in Southwest Athletics baseball and softball, and an additional 3,200 travel teams and more than 200,000 visitors have come to the complex. For more information, please visit www.swathletics.org