More than 150 groups of softball players will soon show Plant City you’re never too old to step up to the plate.
The International Senior Softball Association-World Baseball Softball Confederation World Tournament of Champions comes back to the Tampa Bay Area for the eighth time later this month and Plant City will host more than a quarter of the 453 scheduled games. The tournament is open to players age 50 and up and they will play 144 games at Plant City Stadium and the Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex from Jan. 22-27.
“We’ve got 150 of best teams in the country and they’ll converge on Plant City and other areas and have a good time,” tournament director R.B. Thomas said.
Plant City also hosts the tournament’s annual Home Run Derby, a showdown between all-stars of the tournament and the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team, and the game between the tourney all-stars and the WWAST. The derby at Plant City Stadium starts at 6 p.m. Jan. 25 and the game begins right afterward at 7:30 p.m.
New to the tournament this year is the Mike Macenko Home Run Challenge. This separate home run derby, also to be held on Jan. 25, is the first of 10 qualifying ISSA events leading up to the Oct. 18 finale in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The winner of the challenge earns the title of ISSA Senior Softball National Home Run King.
GAME TIMES
Jan. 22
- Larson 1: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.
- Larson 2: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. 4:30 p.m.
- Larson 3: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m.
- Larson 4: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m.
- PCS: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m.
Jan. 23
- Larson 1: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m.
- Larson 2: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m.
- Larson 3: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m.
- Larson 4: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m.
- PCS: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m.
Jan. 24
- Larson 1: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m.
- Larson 2: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m.
- Larson 3: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m.
- Larson 4: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m.
- PCS: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 25
- Larson 1: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. 4:30 p.m.
- Larson 2: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m. 4:30 p.m.
- Larson 3: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. 4:30 p.m.
- Larson 4: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. 4:30 p.m.
- PCS: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m.
- HR Derby: 6 p.m.
- ASG: 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 26
- Larson 1: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m.
- Larson 2: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m.
- Larson 3: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m.
- Larson 4: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m.
- PCS: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m.
Jan. 27
- Larson 1: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m.
- Larson 2: No games scheduled
- Larson 3: No games scheduled
- Larson 4: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m.
- PCS: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m.
