Miami will see its baseball and softball facilities put to use this weekend as a pair of United State Specialty Sport Association-sanctioned tournaments roll into town.
All baseball games are slated to be played at the Miami Little League complex in Riverview Park, while softball will be played at the Joe Booth Sports Complex across from the Miami Fairgrounds.
Eighteen teams from Missouri, 12 from Oklahoma, 10 from Kansas and six from Arkansas are expected to roll into Miami for the tournaments.
The tournaments will run Saturday and Sunday this weekend.
According to the Miami News-Record, the Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau has worked in conjunction with other local and regional organizations to stage the events.
The economic impact of the events will be a big shot in the arm for the city, according to Amanda Davis, director of Visit Miami OK, which is coordinating the event.
“Over the past two weeks, we’ve seen nearly 1,300 athletes in town for sports tournaments. Along with coaches and fans, it’s been around 5,300 attendees at the events,” Davis told the News-Record. “These folks are eating in our restaurants, staying in our hotels and spending dollars locally. We know it’s making an impact to our local businesses.”