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Baseball dominates county fields this summer

By Staff | Aug 3, 2012

Lee County Parks & Recreation baseball facilities just finished hosting six consecutive weeks of amateur baseball tournaments at its sites with 342 teams playing 1,233 games.

The action continues this weekend when Southwest Florida Travel Ball begins Saturday nat the Lee County Player Development Complex and Terry Park.

Those two sites – as well as the Lee County Sports Complex, JetBlue Park and City of Palms Park – have hosted the AAU National Championships (one week, 40 teams, 162 games, July 23-29); Perfect Game Baseball (three weeks, 276 teams, 980 games, June 30-July 20); USA Baseball (two weeks, 26 teams, 91 games, June 18-30).

The Perfect Game Baseball event also drew collegiate and pro scouts. Summer’s annual baseball events significantly impact Lee County’s hotels and motels. Teams came from the Lower 48 states, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Canada.

A sports tourism report detailing baseball’s economic impact in July will be available at the Aug. 10 Lee County Tourist Development Council meeting. In 2011, amateur baseball events used Lee County stadiums 218 days with players, coaches and their families generating a $48.8 million economic impact.