Slowpitch players will be competing for a share of $8,000 in prize money on the Summer Days diamonds over the August 4 weekend.
And with that much dough on the line, the competition in the mixed team tournament will be good, says event organizer Greg Duma.
Admitting that entries for the tourney have been coming in a little slow, Duma said registration for the weekend will stay open until August 2. He says the weekend is a busy one for competitive slowpitch teams across the province, with at least five other tournaments being held within a couple hundred kilometres of Edmonton at the same time. But he thinks the prize money will 'batter-up' the interest.
"It's a pretty big payout compared to other tournaments," he told Lakeland This Week, breaking down the cash-winnings starting with $2,500 for the winning squad.
Originally from Grassland, Duma is the current organizer of the slow pitch league in Cold Lake. Playing with his own mixed team, Bat-flip Crazy, he says the Summer Days event will draw teams from across the province. So far, the roster includes several Lakeland-area teams and at least one from the Morinville area.
Diamond rules
The Summer Days tournament will feature Slow Pitch National umpires and standard rules to keep the competition even. A five-run maximum will be in place for each inning and a home-run cap of four per team, per game will be in place. Duma said the restrictions are in place to keep the games entertaining for players and spectators.
The games will take over the Bold Center diamonds — and the Aurora Middle School fields if more teams register — starting on the morning of Saturday, August 5.
Expecting the tournament to be a 12-team format, six teams — the top two in three divisions — will take home prize money. Entry for the tournament is $550 per team, with registration details on the Summer Days social media pages.
