High school baseball tourney expected to bring in $4 million

250 teams to compete next year at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

WEST PALM BEACH — One of the nation’s largest high school baseball tournaments will be held in Palm Beach County next year, marking the first major amateur event planned at the new Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

The Palm Beach Classic, which is run by Prospect Select Baseball, is expected to bring about 250 teams and 3,000 athletes to Palm Beach County between June 9 and June 14, according to the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The visitors are expected to fill hotel rooms during the slow summer season, pumping an estimated $4 million into the local economy, the commission said.

George Linley, the commission’s executive director, said the event, which was formerly held on the Treasure Coast, is expected to generate roughly 5,400 nightly hotel bookings, making it one of the largest amateur sporting events planned in Palm Beach County next year.

“In terms of teams, this will be the largest tournament taking place this summer,” Linley said. “There is no other baseball tournament that brings in 250 teams. And it will be one of the top two in terms of top hotel room nights.”

The tournament will be held on more than 30 fields spanning between Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.

The event is the first major tournament to be announced for The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches — the $144 million new spring training baseball stadium under construction south of 45th Street between Haverhill Road and Military Trail. The facility, which is scheduled to open in January, will be the spring home of the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros.

The national tournament also will be played on fields at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, the Santaluces Athletic Complex and Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie.

“With four premier facilities for amateur baseball, the experience these athletes and families will enjoy alongside the many great tourist elements will showcase why Palm Beach County is such a great destination,” said Brady Ballard, Ballpark of the Palm Beaches’ general manager.

The tournament is expected to draw top teenage athletes from across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and the Baha-