What to know about the ‘baseball-themed festival’ coming to Wichita area this week
.jpg "The SummerBall Showdown will debut this summer with a winner-take-all prize of $20,000 for the tournament.")
What began as a venture to create an open adult baseball tournament in the Wichita area has morphed into a five-day festival with fireworks, live bands and entertainment.
The SummerBall Showdown, a 14-team tournament, will run from Wednesday’s opening games to Sunday’s championship at Genesis Sports Complex in Goddard. Thanks to the four fields at the complex, the tournament will be able to play seven games per day with game times at 3, 6:30 and 10 p.m.
There will be one field dedicated to entertainment throughout the day, which will include a daily cornhole tournament and axe throwing. Concerts will be held on Thursday (Lucky People Band, 7-10 p.m.), Friday (Big Fat Fun, 9-midnight) and Saturday night (Road House Saints, 9-midnight) and then Sunday afternoon (The 99’s, 4-6 p.m.), while fireworks will be shot off on Friday and Saturday night. For children, there is an inflatable obstacle course and a playground area complete with a babysitting service.
SummerBall Showdown tournament tickets can be purchased through their website. General admission is $10 or $12 depending on the day, while youth tickets are $5 with all-tournament passes available for $44.
“It’s really going to be a very affordable, baseball-themed festival,” said Steve Shaad, who created SummerBall Showdown.
Here is where to find free tickets to SummerBall Showdown this week:
- Wednesday: anyone can get free tickets at select Goddard chamber members, including Dairy Queen.
- Thursday: women of any age can get free tickets at Emerson Biggins and Old Chicago in Old Town or Hurricane Sports Grill.
- Friday: military, veterans and first responders can get free tickets at the gate.
- Saturday: students of any age can get free tickets at QuikTrip or Play It Again Sports.
- Sunday: anyone can get free tickets at Casey’s General Stores.
The 14 teams in the winner-take-all $20,000 prize field are the US Military Wardogs, Palm Springs Power, Houston Express, Omaha Filthballers, Kansas Cannons, Wichita Black Sox, ICT Avengers, Cluckers Baseball Club, Midwest Moos, Park City Rangers, Valley Center Mud Daubers, McPherson Pipeliners, Kansas Curve and Kansas Dirtbags.
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