Youth sports have always been a huge part of the City of Crown Point’s identity, and no sport gets as much attention as America’s favorite pastime during the spring and summer seasons. As fall begins to make its way to the Region, Crown Point and the South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority (CVA) are closing out the baseball season with the Cal Ripken 10U World Series, a week-long tournament featuring many of the sport’s future all-stars.
The tournament kicked off on Friday, August 4 with an opening ceremony welcoming teams from across the country to Jerry Ross Park.
"We're thrilled to welcome teams from around the country to the South Shore for the 2023 Cal Ripken 10U World Series!” said Megan Goodan, South Shore CVA’s Chief Sports & Leisure Officer. “Teams are here for 10+ days competing on the baseball diamond, and when they're not, we hope they are making memories, building new friendships, and enjoying all of the unique attractions, shopping, and dining experiences Northwest Indiana has to offer."
The ceremony began with an introduction to all 24 competing teams. This was followed by remarks from Mayor Pete Land before teams were treated to dinner. The players were absolutely buzzing with excitement.
The Cal Ripken 10U World Series is the first that Crown Point’s program has been honored with hosting. Vice President of Crown Point Youth Baseball Joel Boomsma takes this as a sign that the Babe Ruth League believes in Crown Point’s program.
“It makes us feel that we are doing something right here,” said Boomsma. “The boys playing in this event will get to meet other baseball players from across the country and compete on the highest level possible while making some new friends and interacting on a personal level.”
Community support for the tournament has been overwhelming, with both locals and businesses working with the program to maintain and enhance facilities. They do so out of pride for their community and the baseball program.
“We are able to showcase our great City to visitors who may never have been here before, and because of our community's high level of hospitality, these visitors walk away with a positive experience of Crown Point. Second, having an influx of visitors benefits our local business owners throughout the City, as they have so many more customers patronizing their businesses. It’s a win-win for the City and our businesses,” said Crown Point Mayor Pete Land.
As dinner wrapped up, the night concluded with the Skills Competition Finals. The preliminary events got everyone fired up for the main tournament. Boomsma is hopeful that the Region will show out for these games in large numbers.
“With 24 teams playing in the 2023 10U Cal Ripken World Series, we will be hosting over 300 players from 16 states across the country and one international team from Australia. It is a landmark event in Crown Point Youth Baseball that will provide a weeklong string of amazingly competitive baseball games,” he said. “We hope that everyone from the Region will come out to see a game and watch how talented all of these 10-year-old boys are.”
To learn about more fun events happening in the Region, visit South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority’s website.
To stay up to date with everything happening in the City of Crown Point, visit www.crownpoint.in.gov.
