WESTFIELD – The Greater Westfield Babe Ruth Baseball League opened its 62nd season at Bullens Field. Opening day kicked off April 6 with games played at the historic field. More than 80 players are playing on six teams in the 13–15 age group.
The regular season will continue into early June and then the highly contested Dan Welch City Cup Championship Playoffs will be played. Depending on the weather during the regular season, the playoffs are scheduled to begin June 9. Check out our web site at www.westfieldbaberuth.org for weekly game schedules.
SUMMER BASEBALL AND TOURNAMENT TEAMS
Plans are being made now to continue the summer tradition of baseball in Westfield with teams playing in each age group (13’s, 14’s and 15’s) on the traditional Babe Ruth tournament trail with a focus on earning a spot in a Babe Ruth World Series. There will be state and regional play at each age level.
To allow players to prepare for the tournament trail and enjoy competitive baseball through June and July while playing travel baseball, Babe Ruth officials are considering playing the Pioneer Valley Baseball League. This allows teams to play weekday and weekend games throughout the upper Pioneer Valley at a very reasonable cost.
More details will be provided soon for the 2019 summer season plans and schedules.
CITY’S TOURNAMENT SITES
Westfield Babe Ruth is excited to be hosting two tournaments in 2019. Tournament season will kick off on July 19 when the Fifteen Year Old Babe Ruth Regional Tournament makes it home at Bullens Field with games played July 19–24. Kristen Jachym and her volunteers will again welcome teams from throughout New England for the Regional Tournament. The tournament winner will travel to Bismarck, ND for their World Series.
Following a successful 2016 Babe Ruth World Series held at Bullens Field, Greater Westfield Babe Ruth will once again host a World Series in Westfield. This time 13-year-old teams from around the United States and Canada will converge for the World Series to be played at Bullens Field August 7–15. The Westfield Babe Ruth team of 13-year-olds will play as the host team for the tournament.
Many great events are scheduled in conjunction with the World Series.
Plans are being made for a Banquet of Champions to be held at the Sheraton Springfield to welcome the teams to Western Mass., followed by 25 scheduled games at Bullens Field August 8– 15. The World Series will be a featured event at part of the Westfield 350th Celebration.
Other special things planned include a special recognition ceremony for Kevin Sullivan. Sullivan was not only a strong supporter of Westfield Schools, but he was a regular season and tournament player, manager and coach of some very competitive Babe Ruth teams.
Westfield Babe Ruth has had some very competitive teams that have earned their place in Westfield baseball history by playing in four Babe Ruth World Series Tournaments. Players and coaches from World Series team from 1989, 1992, 2012 and 2014 will be invited back to Bullens Field to be recognized during a special ceremony for their accomplishments. – Courtesy of Greater Westfield Babe Ruth Baseball
