OKLAHOMA CITY – The Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball, the National Governing Body of Softball in the U.S., has announced today the creation of the USA Softball Men’s Slow Pitch Invitational Tournament (NIT) which will take place January 13-15, 2017 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Slated to be held at Grand Park Athletic Complex, the Slow Pitch NIT will feature four different men’s divisions, while a women’s and coed divisions will also be eligible for play.
“This tournament was created following discussions from the ASA/USA Softball Slow Pitch Task Force Committee,” said ASA/USA Softball President and Ohio ASA/USA Softball Commissioner Warren Jones. “The Committee wanted to create an event that could be held in the winter with a nice destination while allowing for rule modifications that would otherwise not be eligible for Championship Play. Similar to the USA Softball JO Cup, this Slow Pitch NIT will give tournament directors the flexibility to adjust the rules based on feedback from the players and coaches.”
Unique to the Slow Pitch NIT are four open men’s divisions, which teams can choose to register under: Division I will allow for six home runs a game per team, Division II is allowed four home runs, Division III is allowed two home runs while no home runs will be allowed in Division IV. Additional Slow Pitch NIT tournament details include a three-game guarantee, no player classifications and prize packages, including sponsor awards and Championship rings.
Featuring 52/300 softballs for the event, which will be supplied, the blind draw for the Slow Pitch NIT will be streamed live on January 8 for teams and fans. An Opening Ceremony will also kick off the event on January 13 at 6 p.m. ET. Teams also have the opportunity to participate in a golf tournament on January 12 prior to the start of the tournament.
The deadline to enter the Slow Pitch NIT is January 5, 2017, and an entry form can be found online at the tournament website: http://www.usasoftballnj.com/page/show/2719547-winter-classic.
About ASA/USA Softball
Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, ASA/USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 70 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.2 million. ASA/USA is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won 10 World Championship titles as well as claimed eight World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about ASA/USA Softball, please visit http://www.asausasoftball.com/.