Five things to know before you go to NBC World Series baseball tourney at Eck Stadium
The 89th annual National Baseball Congress World Series begins on Thursday, kicking off the tournament that will feature 35 games in 10 days at Eck Stadium on Wichita State’s campus.
Here are five things to know about Wichita’s prestigious summer baseball tournament.
1. How to watch and follow NBC World Series
Four games will be played — with start times slated for noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. — every day for the first eight days of the tournament. The semifinals are scheduled for 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, with the championship game slated for 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12.
All games will be livestreamed on YouTube (search “NBC World Series”), and live stats will be available through PointStreak.
Tickets can be purchased through the NBC World Series website or Wichita State ticket office at GoShockers.com.
2. Unique promotions to end NBC World Series with a bang
When Katie Woods was hired as new tournament director following last year’s event, she set out to come up with creative promotions to try to attract more fan interest in this summer’s rendition.
The final result should make the final three days of the NBC World Series a hit among fans in attendance.
It begins on Thursday, Aug. 10 with a celebration of women in baseball. Also, a special fly-over is planned before the featured game to honor Wichita’s aviation history.
Maybelle Blair, a 96-year-old women’s baseball advocate who was one inspiration behind the film “A League of Their Own,” will be the special guest of the night. Blair recently realized that her brother played in the NBC World Series in 1942 for the Northrop Bombers. He even made the all-tournament team.
The following night, Woods will pay homage to tournament creator Hap Dumont, who used to hold carnival-themed days to stir fan interest. Woods has designed a “Greatest Show on Turf” theme that will feature a balancing act, science activities, basketball grannies and a first pitch thrown by former Globetrotter Hannah Mortimer.
“When we started planning for this tournament, it was an idea of ‘How do we reinvent the old and bring things from the tournament before and modernize them?’” Woods said. “When Hap Dumont started the World Series, you couldn’t have a circus on a Sunday, but you could have a baseball game. So he brought those entertaining elements to the tournament and made them a catalyst for the NBC. It’s going to be a celebration of all things fun and wacky.”
The tournament will end with a bang with fireworks following the championship game on Saturday, August 12.
3. Santa Barbara Foresters going for record fourth straight title
No franchise has ever won four straight NBC World Series championships, a record the Santa Barbara Foresters are looking to set this summer.
The three-time defending champions from the California Collegiate League once again look like the favorite before the tournament. Not only have the Foresters won the last three NBC crowns, the organization has claimed 10 of the last 17 national championships in Wichita since 2006.
The lineup is littered with Div. I players like Max Belyeu (Texas), Ryan Black (Texas Arlington), Jalin Flores (Texas), Rylan Galvan (Texas), Rocco Garza-Gongora (Oklahoma), Eamonn Lance (Santa Clara), Greg Pace (Michigan), Will Rogers (Michigan) and Nate Voss (Michigan).
And then Santa Barbara’s pitching staff is also loaded with talent from the Div. I ranks, including Ben Bybee (Arkansas), Robert Cranz (Oklahoma State), Zach Erdman (Texas Tech), Jacob Hughes (Oregon), Zane Petty (Texas Tech) and Carson Turnquist (Cal Poly).
4. Handful of new teams highlight 16-team field
Tradition-rich franchises like the Santa Barbara Foresters, Hays Larks, Liberal Bee Jays, Hutchinson Monarchs and Seattle Studs are back in Wichita, but the 16-team field features teams from six different states and has been injected with some new blood this summer.
The most intriguing new team will be the Seattle Blackfins, which won the Pacific International League. Other fresh franchises include the Sedgwick County Blues, composed almost entirely of recent graduates from local high schools, Tulsa’s Sandlot, and two more from Texas in Arlington Baptist and Kraken.
5. A better baseball experience for the players
Another priority for Woods has been improving the tournament’s exposure for participating players and teams.
For the first time, TrackMan data will be incorporated into the event. The digital scouting service will track data for each player — think velocity, vertical and horizontal break and spin rate for pitchers and exit velocity, and distance, launch angle and hang time for hitters. The NBC World Series social media accounts will post this data on game highlights.
Another new feature will be USA Baseball in attendance for its Prospect Development Pipeline project. The organization will conduct performance assessment evaluations on players in the tournament.
“We’re really trying to get the players more of those looks and build back up that scouting and exposure that used to be there,” Woods said. “Each player is going to have a player profile made for them, which will show their workout numbers and give them something to showcase to help them with their next opportunity in baseball.”
NBC World Series schedule
Thursday
Arlington Baptist vs. D-BAT, noon
Sedgwick County Blues vs. Lonestar Baseball Club, 3 p.m.
Liberal Bee Jays vs. Seattle Studs, 6
Denver Cougars vs. Kansas Cannons, 8:30
Friday
Great Bend Bat Cats vs. Sandlot Tulsa, noon
Seattle Blackfins vs. GPS Legends, 3 p.m.
Hays Larks vs. Hutchinson Monarchs, 6
Lonestar Kraken vs. Santa Barbara Foresters, 8:30
