NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — A pair of Arkansas-based teams highlight the 20-team field for the Mid-America 18-and-under West World Series, which begins today at three ballparks in Northwest Arkansas.
The Fayetteville Lindsey & Associates Dodgers, an American Legion team, and the Arkansas Prospects Black, a showcase team made up mostly of 16-year-olds from Northwest Arkansas and the Little Rock area, are the only Arkansas-based teams. The Arkansas Prospects Black are coached by Springdale Har-Ber coach Randy Salsbury. The Midwest Nationals based in Springfield, Mo., has four different teams in the tournament with players from the Northwest Arkansas area on their rosters.
Tate Thoreson, director of Mid-America tournaments, said the organization offers a World Series as their marquee season-ending events for 16-and-under and 18U teams. The 18U East World Series is being played in Bowling Green, Ky., while the 16U event will be played in Joplin, Mo.
Northwest Arkansas has been the home of the West World Series for the past couple of years, Thoreson said.
“We were able to use Arvest Ballpark before, but (the Naturals) are in town this time,” Thoreson said.
Instead, pool play begins today at Veterans Park in Rogers, Baum Stadium and at Fayetteville High and continues through Saturday. Each team will play four games in pool play.
Each of the four pool winners advance to the semifinals at Baum Stadium on Sunday. The semifinals will be played at 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., followed by the championship game at 1:30 p.m.
Thoreson said Mid-America tournaments began about 10 years ago with one event per age group per week during June and July. It’s now grown to administering 40-50 events per year.
The Memphis Tigers are the defending champions for the West World Series, which is slightly smaller than a year ago. However, the 20 teams represent seven states including New Mexico and Nebraska.
Fayetteville opens pool play with two games today at Veterans Park. The first one coming against a Dallas-based showcase team at 3 p.m., followed by a game against another showcase team based in Overland Park, Kan. called Building Champions.
The Arkansas Prospects will play today at 5 p.m. at Fayetteville High against the Midwest Nationals 17U scout team, which includes Will Ginger and Carson Shaddy of Fayetteville, Jayme Lovelace of Rogers Heritage and Winston Rasmussen of Har-Ber.