The annual Cal Ripken 2017 Southwest Regional Tournament in Picayune is growing. Picayune Parks and Recreation Director Trevor Adam announced that this year’s tournament will include a large fair at Friendship Park.
Typically, Adam said the Cal Ripken tournament brings teams and fans from all over the Southwest, stretching from New Mexico to Alabama. And because of the increase in visitors, Adam said this was the perfect opportunity to show the world what Picayune and Pearl River County have to offer.
“This is a huge opportunity for us as a community to impress visitors and show off our quality of life here in this beautiful city,” Adam said. “Visitors will stay at our hotels, eat at our restaurants and play ball at our parks. The entire community has worked hard in the past couple of years at helping the city reach its potential. It’s time we show the world the amazing work we’ve done.”
Starting July 12, at Friendship Park, Adam said Mitchell Brothers Carnival will provide rides to the children and adults while the park will provide food and drinks at the concession stands. Adam encourages the community to enjoy the festivities and support the 7-year-old Picayune All-Star team as they attempt to win the Cal Ripken tournament, which he said is equivalent to the Little League World Series.
“People all the time want more options of activities to participate in outside and more family atmosphere events. Well this is both, plus we have a hometown team that is getting ready to represent this city and community on a national level,” he said.
Games begin July 13 and both the fair and games conclude Sunday, July 16. Adam said Friendship Park is one of the largest sporting complexes in the tri-state area, and with the fairly recent upgrades to the park in the past couple of years under his leadership, he wants to impress visitors and the community by showcasing the hard work his team put in to the park.
“We are only scratching the surface of where we want to be with the park, but the transformation it has gone through in the past year and a half is breathtaking,” Adam said. “This park is just a small part in the progress this community and city has gone through as a whole and we hope to continue that progress and reach our full potential. We encourage everyone to come and have fun, watch some great baseball and support your community.”