The Coronavirus has taken sports away for the time being nationwide and even locally right here in Enid. But it seems like things are slated to get back to normal sooner rather than later. And it starts with baseball returning in less than a month.
David Allen Memorial Ballpark is set to host three Connie Mack tournaments this summer with the first being slated for June 17. This opening Connie Mack tournament will run from June 17- June 21, this will be the regional qualifier put on by the AABC (American Amateur Baseball Congress). The schedule should be released to the public on June 1.
That tournament will then be followed by the South Plains/South East Regional Tournament and will run from July 8 – July 12.
And then the final tournament of the three scheduled tournaments for here in Enid, the Oklahoma State Connie Mack Tournament, will take place at David Allen Memorial Ballpark. The current (scheduled to change) date for this tournament is supposed to run from July 15 – July 19.
The AABC National Vice President for the South Plains/South East Area Shannon Enfield spoke to me via phone call on Tuesday and said this:
“We are gonna play.
The demand to play is great and the expectation is we will play. I didn’t want people to say we prematurely lost all hope.
It’s really because of the kids and…I would hate for a kid to have a lost summer, they already lost a school year. Anything we can do to allow the kids to play we will. We want the kids to have the opportunity to play. It’ll be good for them to get out and the parents too.
We want to play baseball in Oklahoma and in the Enid area. We want to play safely and under the supervision and under a regulation which we provide for them. I think it’s better for them to play for us than a pickup game. We are doing everything we can to make this a safer experience for everyone including the fans.”
The first tournament is a four-game guarantee, while the final two have a three-game guarantee.
The AABC did not shut everything down even though the Connie Mack World Series was cancelled, that event was scheduled to take place in Farmington, NM. But this doesn’t mean there can’t and won’t be a regional winner.
Multiple organizations have shutdown their seasons permanently, such as:
- NJCAA (World Series was to be held in Enid)
- NCAA
- American Legion
- Little League World Series (first time in history this event has been cancelled)
Before the Connie Mack Tournament, Brad Gore and the Enid Majors brand new head coach Kris Webb are bringing baseball back to Enid beginning as early as June 1st. This tournament will bring in eight teams. Two of the teams in that eight-team field include the Enid Plainsmen and Enid Majors Connie Mack teams.
“They will be played as of now,” Coach Brad Gore said in a text message.
Of course the Coronavirus could alter these plans. Anything could happen between the time you are reading this article and June 1. They are still trying to finalize and gather up all the details for this tournament, but the plan is for it to begin June 1 and end on June 4 at David Allen Memorial Ballpark.
Baseball is back, as long as the plan doesn’t change for reopening sports activities according to the plan released by the city of Enid.
For more information, continue to visit EnidLive.com
