Blog
District III Tournament Coming to a Close
The three-day double elimination tournament for the National Club Baseball Association’s (NCBA) District III Championship has been an opportunity to introduce new visitors to Martinsville-Henry County and the surrounding area.
Fans coming to support the teams drove in from Gretna, Charlotte, Raleigh, Richmond, Newport News, Spotsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia and Connecticut, just to name a few.
On Saturday, the day began with University of North Carolina- Wilmington beating Old Dominion University 9-3. In game #4, The College of William & Mary beat University of South Carolina- Union 7-6. The final game of the afternoon concluded with USC- Union beating UNC- Wilmington 9-8.
Throughout the games, staff from the Martinsville-Henry County EDC’s Tourism Division passed out MHC Activity Guides to visiting fans and the tournament announcer gave mention to other events going on in town such as the Virginia Museum of Natural History’s Bug Daze Festival and The Artisan Centers’ Mini Maker Faire, among others.
A couple from Richmond watching their son play for Old Dominion were looking forward to attending a performance of TheatreWorks Community Player’s “Death by Design” after the games concluded for the evening.
One family that had driven four hours from Prospect, South Carolina enjoyed eating sushi at Yamato’s Japanese and were looking forward to enjoying dinner at El Norteno Mexican Restaurant. Another family from Gretna did not have to drive as far to the tournament but said they enjoy eating pizza at Elizabeth’s so much that they often make special trips to Martinsville just to eat there.
The NCBA District III tournament will continue on Sunday at 9 a.m. when the College of William & Mary and University of South Carolina- Union take the field. If needed, another game will be played at 12 p.m. The winner of the tournament will move on to the NCBA Division II World Series in Paducah, Kentucky.
According to NCBA District III Tournament Coordinator Steven Baker, "The teams and tournament atmosphere have far surpassed my expectations. It would not surprise me at all if we end up playing two games tomorrow to crown a champion. This will be what Championship baseball is all about so I encourage everyone to make the well worth trip to the park, pick a side and send off our Champion in style!”
Admission Sunday is $5 and children five and under are free with a paying adult. The Martinsville Community Recreation Association will sell concessions and all proceeds from ticket sales and concessions will benefit Hooker Field. The Martinsville Mustangs will sell beer and Mustangs souvenirs during the game. Fans will not be allowed to bring outside food or beverages into the stadium.
Another NCBA Tournament for the Mid-Atlantic Division I will be held on the following weekend, May 9th-11th. Both East Carolina University and James Madison University have made it into the Division I tournament.
Additional information on the tournaments and area information can be found online at www.VisitMartinsville.com or by calling 276.226.6940.