The Annual Snowball Softball Tournament kicks
off Jan. 25 and 26. All games will be played at local
parks rain, snow or shine. The tournament has
been going on for 10 years and has been growing
in popularity.
Softball director Brian Hankins said many teams
have been coming to the event for years, and people
come from all over the world to participate.
“We have a lot of teams that drive six to eight
hours every year, and they love coming,” Hankins
said. “There is a big group of people from Ohio that
are all good friends, and they have been coming to
the tournament for years now.”
Hankins said the skill levels of past participants
range from intermediate to expert, and many
gifted players have competed.
“There has been some major league talent at
the tournament in the past,” Hankins said. “Jason
Moore, who played for the Diamondbacks, has
played in our tournament several times.”
The event features a men’s tournament and a
co-ed tournament, which are held on separate
days so there are no scheduling issues for participants
that want to compete both days.
“We have the tournaments on different days because
a lot of people play on a men’s team all year
and want to play with them,” Hankins said. “But
they also want to play with their wives and girlfriends,
and we want to make sure they have the
opportunity to do both. With some tournaments,
you might be scheduled to play with your co-ed
team at the same time as you are with your other
team. Breaking the tournaments up over two days
prevents that from happening.”
Huntington has some of the of largest softball
leagues in the state and offers people of a variety
of ages and abilities the chance to play and meet
new people.
“Huntington has the largest adult softball league
in the area with 74 teams,” Hankins said. “Our location
allows us to pull people from the surrounding
states.”
Hankins said the tournament is meant to be a
fun experience for all who attend.
“I want to make this an enjoyable event for
everyone,” Hankins said. “I hope everyone that
comes wants to come back.”
The sign up fee is $150, and each team is allowed
to field 10 players. The softballs are provided, but
teams are expected to bring their own bats and
gloves. All teams must be registered for the tournament
by Jan. 16.
Bryan Bozeman can be contacted at bozeman@
marshall.edu.