Video: Baseball Business Boom

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — It’s a big weekend of baseball in Starkville.

Not only is the city rallying behind the Mississippi State Bulldogs as they take on the Arizona Wildcats in the Super Regional round of the NCAA tournament, but the city is hosting future Diamond ‘Dawgs at the Starkville Sportsplex.

The 82 Challenge Youth Baseball Tournament is the biggest event of its kind the city will host this year, says Mayor Parker Wiseman.

Wiseman also said the sounds of baseball is music to their ears.

“We are really, really fortunate this weekend to have both this tournament and the NCAA Baseball Super Regional going at the same time…”, said Wiseman, “…we look for opportunities, particularly the time of year where the economy is a little bit slower to hopefully increase tourism activity and this should be a big win this weekend.”

Parks Director Herman Peters said the number of people he thinks will be coming through the city in the next week will be in “the thousands.”

People from all over Mississippi, and some from Tennessee, came with their teams for the tournament.

Cleveland, Mississippi resident Teresa Bramlett said they had to stay in Columbus because “there was not a place open in Starkville, and this was two weeks ago before…Mississippi State even won….”

The North Mississippi Hustle’s First Base Coach Mike Burleson said some of his players are sharing the same hotel room as the Arizona Wildcats baseball team.

Desoto Marlins coach Michael Carson said they have players all over the place, in Starkville, Columbus, and West Point.

Wiseman and Peters said the tournament is a great way for the city to showcase it’s parks and recreation facility, especially since the city has made a major public initiative to revitalize the parks.

“A large portion of the parks master plan did relate to what we need to do in the future to be even more competitive as a tournament site for tournament baseball, tournament soccer, or tournament softball.”

Wiseman hopes the city will play host to three to five tournament similar to the 82 challenge in the future.