A summer league for college softball players is coming to the Wichita area in 2022
A summer league for college softball players, the first of its kind in the country outside of Florida, is coming to the Wichita area in the 2022 summer.
The Sunflower Softball League, which hopes to feature nearly 100 players on six different teams, was created by former Wichita State baseball player Casey Walkup, who has two decades of experience running tournaments and leagues in the summer for college baseball players in Wichita.
“A lot of people we’ve spoken to have had the same sentiments: Yes, this is needed and this is necessary,” Walkup said at the introductory press conference Monday. “We want to encourage girls to take the leap of faith with us. Be some of the pioneers for this league.”
Because there are so many professional opportunities for baseball players, there are countless summer leagues for college players all over the country. But in the world of softball, where professional opportunities are limited, the only summer league available is the Florida Gulf Coast League, which requires a certain skill level and financial commitment to attend.
The Sunflower Softball League hopes to combat those concerns by setting up each player with a host family in the area. Walkup also mentioned partnerships could allow the players free memberships to local gyms to work out, as well as potential employment and Name, Image and Likeness opportunities to help offset league fees.
Interested players can sign up through the Sunflower Softball League social media pages. Walkup said a $200 reduction in fees will be applied for players who sign up before Christmas.
“We feel like we can do everything that they’re doing in Florida and do it even better right here in Wichita,” Walkup said.
The league has the full support of Wichita State softball coach Kristi Bredbenner, who was more than happy to offer up Wilkins Stadium as a host site for this summer’s games.
“Opportunities like the Sunflower League are huge in continuing to give our girls the opportunities that you’re seeing a lot of guys get,” Bredbenner said. “This is just an awesome opportunity to see the game grow. The bottom line is we want to see our girls have the opportunity to play in the summer, especially the girls who don’t get the at bats or playing time they’re looking for but want to get themselves ready for the next season. This is a perfect opportunity to get those reps and get that time on the field.”
The league will run for approximately four weeks with hopes of playing around 30 games from June 17 to July 17. Host sites will include Wichita State’s Wilkins Stadium, Newman University, Butler Community College, Hutchinson Community College, Genesis Sports Complex in Goddard, Decarsky Park in Derby and Valley Center High School.
As a former standout player at Missouri, Nicole Entz, a former assistant coach at WSU, said something like the Sunflower League is what players need.
“I think back on my career and what would 30 extra games a year done?” Entz said. “I was just visiting with some of my old teammates this weekend and it took all of us until we were 22 years old to feel like we really figured out the game and then basically your career is over. How much quicker could you reach that if you had those extra games and had those same options that baseball players have? For softball players, you go home and set up the tee with the net or go out to a field by your house and hope you’re doing enough to keep in shape and better your skills by yourself. It’s not easy.”
The league already has commitments from players from Wichita State, Oklahoma State and Kansas, but Bredbenner believes the league has the potential to become a summer destination for players from all around the Midwest.
The quickest way to do that is for the first year to be smooth and well-run, which will help the league spread by word of mouth between players and coaches.
“You might have to do a smaller league in the beginning, but a successful one that can prove that this is something that’s going to happen and it’s going to provide that opportunity and it’s going to be a well-organized, well-rounded experience,” Bredbenner said. “Once this league comes to fruition, what is it going to be like? How are things going to work? And are the promises going to be kept? Those are always going to be the concerns when you get into these types of endeavors. There’s always a really big goal and a lot of things to look forward to, but we’ve also got to make it happen.”
This story was originally published December 7, 2021 at 12:43 PM.
.jpg)