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NCAA Division I softball coming to Leesburg

NCAA Division I softball coming to Leesburg

News Release Header with city logo
For immediate release:  February 9, 2020
Contact:  Office of the City Manager
                 352-728-9786 ext. 1100
                 citymanager@leesburgflorida.gov 

NCAA Division I Softball coming to Leesburg

          LEESBURG, FL – Leesburg’s Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex will be the site of NCAA Division I softball in February and March. In conjunction with THE Spring Games organization, more than a dozen college softball teams from across the country will be participating in this unrivaled collegiate softball event. The games will take place over four weekends.

Sleepy Hollow infield work

          The annual THE Spring Games match-ups are scheduled for February 12-14 and March 5-7. Participants for the first weekend include the University of Pittsburg, New Mexico State, Liberty University and Middle Tennessee University. Teams for the March 5-7 games are still being determined. These out of conference games will count toward the teams’ regular season records.

          An exciting addition for this year’s lineup is teams from the Big 10. Due to COVID-19, the Big 10 sought a neutral location where conference games could be played in a bubble-type atmosphere. Through a partnership with THE Spring Games and Lake County, Leesburg was selected to host this event. The Big 10 schools will play 84 games over a span of six days on the weekends of February 26-28 and March 12-14. 

          To meet the requirements of the Big 10, some modifications were needed to the fields at Sleepy Hollow including temporary outfield fencing and expansion of batting cages, bullpens and dugouts. These upgrades not only made this year’s games possible, they are an investment in the future. Several Big 10 teams along with other Division I softball entities have agreed to bring games back to Leesburg for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Grant dollars from the Lake County Tourist Development Council helped fund the improvements.

          “Leesburg is thrilled to be selected to host these exciting events at our Sleepy Hollow facility,” said Mayor John Christian. “This is a significant economic development opportunity for the entire community in terms of generating sports tourism dollars and would not have been possible without our collaboration with THE Spring Games and Lake County. We are very excited to welcome all the athletes, their families and fans to our city.”

          COVID-19 protocols will limit the number of spectators allowed at games. Availability of general admission tickets will vary each weekend. For tickets or additional information, please visit www.thespringgames.com.

Leesburg is a progressive city of more than 23,000 residents in northwest Lake County. The city government serves twice as many people with its electric, gas, water and wastewater public utilities. Leesburg is also a central hub for commerce, attracting 50,000 people to work each weekday. For more information, visit www.leesburgflorida.gov.
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