Snohomish County hosting NSA Western World Series

Brace yourself for an invasion of fastpitch softball players as the 2004 National Softball Association Western World Series rolls into town next week.

Games run July 19-24 at five Snohomish County venues. Lynnwood High School and Meadowdale Athletic Complex will host the 18-and-under division.

Other age groups will play at Kasch Park and Phil Johnson Ballfields in Everett; Skyriver and Lake Tye parks in Monroe; and Marysville-Pilchuck High School.

Amy Spain, the group sales executive for the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau, put together the county’s bid proposal to host the Western World Series.

“It is a first for Snohomish County to host an event of this size and this duration which encompasses fields in so many cities,” Spain said. “It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Snohomish County to visitors from throughout the western states.”

NSA Western U.S. umpire-in-chief Lou Davis, of Marysville, organized much of the planning for the tournament.

Davis said more than 20 fields were needed to accommodate the World Series. Most of the fields were in the proper condition to host games, but a few required minor changes.

“Some needed to be set up for fastpitch softball,” Davis said.

The NSA installed 200-foot outfield fences at some locations and removed a pitching rubber at one park. The fences, which were donated to the parks, will remain in place once the World Series is complete.

The tournament is expected to draw 250-300 teams, which would result in around 6,000 visitors to Snohomish County during the week. On average, each team travels with 25 people.

“Parking areas in most facilities will be adequate for teams and visitors,” Davis said.

Davis noted that the increase in visitors could affect people’s daily activities, such as dining out.

“(People) should definitely make dinner reservations for that week,” Davis said.

Most of the visitors will be eating out, shopping in local stores and malls and filling up their gas tanks. While the influx of people may cause congestion at times, the county is expected to benefit financially from hosting the tournament.

“The economic impact in the county is expected to be over $5 million,” Spain said. “That’s direct dollars for hotels, food, gasoline, groceries, entertainment and all the activities families do when they travel.”

NSA and county officials have enjoyed working together to bring the World Series to the area, according to both parties. Pierce County officials also looked into bidding on the tournament.

“We wanted to have it here in the Pacific Northwest,” Davis said.

More than 100 of the teams are coming from California. Another 54 are from Washington, which is considered an emerging hotbed for girls fastpitch softball.

“Youth fastpitch is growing by leaps and bounds and it’s going to continue to grow,” said Marty Lalley, the West Coast vice president for NSA and tournament director. “The excitement level in the game is very high.”

All teams are guaranteed a minimum of four games. Pool play is slated for July 19-20, followed by a double-elimination format for the duration of the tournament.

Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 6-9 p.m. July 18 at Everett Memorial Stadium. Teams will participate in a parade to kick off the festivities.

Games begin at 9 a.m. July 19 at each ballpark. The exact schedule will be finalized this weekend, but championship games have been scheduled for July 24 at Kasch Park and Phil Johnson Ballfields.

Tournament passes are available at each venue. Players and coaches will get in free, but all other attendees must purchase either a day pass or week pass. Each pass is good at all fields for its duration.Herald writer Bob Mortenson contributed to this report.