CLEARWATER, Fla. — A Clearwater softball complex is helping make history by hosting the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic that kicks off Thursday. This will be the first time a collegiate softball event will be televised on the Major League Baseball Network.
This event is kicking off the start of softball season. Carla Scrivener said the Eddie C. Moore Complex is gearing up for a busy month.
“This doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a very large number of people to do what we do for the next couple of weeks just for the sheer volume of people that are coming to our venue,” Scrivener said.
Scrivener said softball is a big draw for people to visit Clearwater.
“We are a destination with the beach, but we’re more than just the beach because we have a number of wonderful facilities for people to utilize,” she added.
This complex is breaking barriers and making history by hosting the NFCA. This week, more than 17 teams are in town, one being the Missouri State Bears.
“This is actually where I started my career at Missouri State. This was our first tournament, so kind of cool for me to come back here and be part of something bigger,” Olivia Krehbiel said.
It's something people of all ages can appreciate.
“It all starts at the youth level getting them excited about it. It’s a chance to really just meet a new role model again just get them excited about the sport,” Carol Bruggeman with NFCA said.
More than 20,000 fans are expected to visit Clearwater during the softball season, including those in our backyard like Shaun Beasley.
“I got involved in softball because they wanted to try softball,” Shaun Beasley said, motioning to his daughters.
Beasley’s daughters play for the Clearwater Little League Softball team.
“We went to ESPN last year and to sit there and watch these girls play you can just see in the younger girl’s eyes how they’re inspired and that potentially someday to be out there and be one of them,” Beasley said.
He said events like this show his daughters they can do anything.
"Young girls can actually look at the TV and see these games on TV so they can know just like boys they can aspire to be on TV if that’s what their passion is,” he said.
“We’ve all been where they’re at too. So, if they just keep working hard, they can make it here too,” Krehbiel added.
Tickets are still available for this event. Missouri will take on Clemson at 7 p.m. Thursday. You can find tickets here.