Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Pandemic doesn’t slow Chad Wolff Classic
Today’s ticket
The covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc with the sports world by shutting down events all over the country.
It’s caused some problems for the Chad Wolff Classic baseball showcase, too. But the event begins today and runs through Sunday at fields all over the area will go on with even more teams than ever before, organizer J.T. Baker said.
More than 90 teams will descend on the area from seven states, but some fields aren’t available because of the pandemic, which made logistics difficult.
Venues like Arvest Ballpark and Baum-Walker Stadium have been used in the past, but neither is an option. In addition, several high school fields in the area are also unavailable.
“It’s been a challenge that’s for sure,” Baker said. “The hard thing is having teams coming from so many different directions. The treat is to have a team from say Texas get to play a team from St. Louis that maybe they don’t ever get to see.
“But that’s been difficult since we are trying to keep teams grouped somewhat geographically.”
Instead, games have been put into north, central and south pods to keep travel to a minimum. Games will be played Hunt’s Park in Fort Smith, along with Sallisaw
Former Springdale baseball Coach Chad Wolff and Muldrow, Okla. Venues for the central pod will include Farmington, Prairie Grove, Shiloh Christian High School, Tyson Park (one day) in Springdale and Phillips Park in Bentonville. In addition, games will be played in Joplin, Mo., along with several high school fields in southwest Missouri.
The decision was made to use a showcase format instead of bracket play on the final day, Baker said.
“As spread out as we are, it just seemed like the best thing,” Baker said. “Teams are getting five games. But if they aren’t comfortable staying multiple nights, we could customize their schedule where they would play two on one day and three the next and just be here two days instead of four or five.”
The sixth annual event has grown and made a name for itself as one of the top showcases in the region, Baker said. But it also helps keep Wolff’s name alive. The former Rogers Heritage assistant coach went in for routine knee surgery in 2013 but died unexpectedly.
“We put this tournament together to keep Chad’s name alive in baseball circles,” Baker said.
WHEN WHERE WHAT CHAD WOLFF CLASSIC
Today-June 21
Various sites around the area, including Farmington High School, Shiloh Christian High School, Phillips Park in Bentonville, Prairie Grove High School, Fort Smith and several high school fields in southwest Missouri.
Fifth year for the baseball showcase including more than 90 teams from seven states with playes ages 15 to 18 honoring the memory of Wolff, a former local assistant baseball coach, who died suddenly after going into the hospital for a routine knee surgery in 2013.
“It’s grown into one of the biggest events in the region. Coaches in a six- or seven-state area know what the Chad Wolff Classic is and they know his name.”
Randy Merryman of Springfield, Mo.-based Midwest Nationals knew Wolff and has sent multiple teams to the showcase every year. He even helped out securing fields in southwest Missouri this year.
Baker said he got the idea of keeping his Perfect Timing teams closer to home early this summer from Merryman.
“Our idea was kind of a twophase schedule, staying in a commutable distance with our schedule until July,” Merryman said. “Hopefully, things will open up some in the second part of the schedule. We wanted to stay local early on and I think that’s been successful.”