College softball may be in Selma’s future
Published 12:25 am Friday, August 28, 2009
SELMA — This city could see a national collegiate softball tournament next spring.
Elton Reece, director of the Selma Recreation Department, said the city was requested to bid on the 2010-11 Collegiate Fast Pitch World Series in partnership with Judson College in Marion. Previously, the tournament was held in Illinois and Ohio.
“They’ve really had a time with the facilities,” Reece said.
The United States Collegiate Athletic Association of Newport News, Va., oversees the tournament. In 2009, Judson College (20-30) was seeded seventh.
Reece said parents of students from this area had talked to others about how Selma supports efforts of the softball teams that play here and how the city takes care of the facilities.
About eight-to-10 teams play in the tournament, which runs from Thursday through Saturday.
Reece said Judson College would serve as the official host.
Reece mailed the bid Thursday.
“Until the city is awarded the bid, I won’t have a breakdown of the cost or what it will entail,” Reece said.
Participating teams are the size of Judson College, a school with about 300 students enrolled, and most come from women’s colleges similar to Judson, Reece said.
A lot of the teams will come from the North and Midwest, meaning many of them will fly because it’s too far to drive, Reece added.
“I think it would be a great thing for the people,” Reece said. “I talked to the conference chairman and he said some coaches want to move it to Selma.”
Selma won’t know if it has won the bid for the series until Oct. 1.
Mayor George Evans called Reece’s announcement good news.
“This is something that could happen for our city to bring in revenue,” the mayor said.