Softball Tournament Plays in New Complex

Brandon Allen of Fredonia, Kan., stretches Saturday before taking his first at bat during the first inning of team Widow Makers’ lower division game against the P.J. All Stars in the 32nd annual Snowball Classic softball tournament at the Regional Sports Complex in Rogers. The three-day tournament is the oldest running winter softball tournament in the U.S. and features 35 teams competing in upper, lower and co-ed divisions from around Northwest Arkansas and neighboring states. Allen’s team is based out of southeast Kansas. The tournament concludes today and runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Brandon Allen of Fredonia, Kan., stretches Saturday before taking his first at bat during the first inning of team Widow Makers’ lower division game against the P.J. All Stars in the 32nd annual Snowball Classic softball tournament at the Regional Sports Complex in Rogers. The three-day tournament is the oldest running winter softball tournament in the U.S. and features 35 teams competing in upper, lower and co-ed divisions from around Northwest Arkansas and neighboring states. Allen’s team is based out of southeast Kansas. The tournament concludes today and runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

— The parking lot of the new Regional Sports Park complex was full by midday Saturday, except for a row of parking spots hugging the outfield fences of the four softball/baseball diamonds.

Web Watch

Park Drawing

To see a drawing of the park, go to nwaonline.com.

Matt Rivard has been playing at the annual Snowball Classic for seven to eight years. He said those who have been playing in softball tournaments for a while know not to park behind the outfield.

Rivard, 34, played outfield for one of the 35 adult softball teams that broke in the complex Saturday. The complex opened Monday and the tournament is the first at the park.

Rick Stocker, coordinator of the event, said the Snowball Classic started in 1982. It was one of the first winter softball tournaments in the region at the time.

“It grew and it became a fixture,” Stocker said. “People start calling as early as August. We have 35 teams this weekend coming from Oklahoma, Kanasas, Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee.”

The event now competes with 15 to 20 other winter tournaments in the region, Stocker said. However, players continue to come to the Rogers’ tournament.

Stocker said softball is an attractive sport to a lot of people because you get out of it what you put in.

“It is a sport where a reasonably fit adult can go out and have fun and do OK without any training,” Stocker sad. “Baseball, because of the speed of the sport, if they are not in shape they are going to look silly.”

The sport also allows adults to contribute to a team without a lot of outside effort.

Stocker said he expects at least 400 to 500 players throughout the tournament plus fans. He said the mild temperature on Saturday will draw more people.

Rivard plays on the Munson Chiropractor team made up of players from Rogers and Bentonville. He said the weather was going to be a plus for this year’s tournament.

“You have to get yourself ready for poor weather,” Rivard said. He said you are excited when it is nice.

Ronnie Moore, also know as “Dog,” has been playing at the tournament since it started. He said there was one year where water on the field froze, also freezing his shoelaces.

“You had to cut your shoelaces off,” said Moore, of Fort Smith.

Moore, 53, said he continues to come back to the tournament because everyone gets to play. He added everyone gets to know each other and make friends.

Keaton Moreland, 11, of Fayetteville comes to the tournament to watch his dad play every year.

“It is pretty fun seeing him play,” Moreland said. “It makes me happy because he is the best player on his team.”

Brannon, Keaton’s dad, responded by saying his son has to be biased about his playing ability.