Record numbers set for Busch Classic

The 41st annual Busch Softball Classic will happen, but it will look different this year thanks to covid-19.

Beginning today through Sunday, softball teams from Arkansas and around the country will play at three complexes in Central Arkansas.

The tournament, which is part of the United States Specialty Sports Association schedule, is held at Sherwood Sports Complex, Burns Park in North Little Rock and Dupree Park in Jacksonville.

One of the nation’s largest softball tournaments, this year’s Busch Classic features 190 teams from 19 states. Arkansas has several teams in the tournament, along with border states Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri and Oklahoma. For the first time in the tournament’s history, women’s teams from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania are entering, tournament founder Clint Albright said.

There are six divisions in the tournament, including Men’s Major, C, D and E and Women’s Major and D.

With the coronavirus pandemic, Albright said he wasn’t sure how the tournament would look. But with the tournament’s record-high number of entrants, Albright is pleased.

“I can’t believe it,” Albright said. “I didn’t expect this. I think some people had some pent-up energy. They were ready to get out and play and spend their money that they haven’t been able to spend.”

Albright added that only two teams, one apiece from New York and Kansas, dropped out. A men’s team from Kansas dropped out since they had three players who worked at the same workplace. Kansas currently has Arkansas listed as a covid-19 hotspot and requires people who have been in Arkansas to quarantine for 14 days. Since that order is in place, the three players told their organizers that they could not afford to take 14 days off from work to play softball in Arkansas, Albright said. The New York team dropped out because of four players not wanting to travel to Arkansas.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson, in conjunction with the Arkansas Department of Health, released guidelines May 21 that allowed some community and team sports to return, including softball.

The tournament sites will require spectators to wear masks. Players do not have to wear masks as long as they are competing. Sites will have separate entrances and exits as well as hand sanitizers. Concession stands are expected to have 6-feet markers in compliance with social distancing guidelines.

Dugouts will be limited to five people, with other players and coaches expected to be behind the dugouts. Bat testing centers on site will be limited, as one player from each team must take every player’s bat for testing.

Also, Sherwood Sports Complex has taken the bleachers out from their fields, while Burns Park took out the awnings that are over each bleacher area. Dupree Park didn’t take their bleachers out since there is a permanent roof over them, Albright said.

The Busch Classic began in 1980 at Junior Deputy Baseball Complex in Little Rock, then moved to Interstate Park, also in Little Rock. In 2002, the tournament moved from Interstate Park to Sherwood Sports Complex.

Admission is $5 each day with children 10 and under free. There is no home run derby this year, as has been the case on Friday nights during the tournament. There will be a fireworks show at Sherwood Sports Complex beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday.