Seven events, nearly 30,000 attendees, $7M in economic impact = bases loaded with visitors

Raleigh, N.C. (May 14, 2018) – If you enjoy baseball, this spring is a great time to be in Raleigh, N.C. From May 17 through July 15, the Greater Raleigh area will host seven baseball events, ranging from youth to amateur to NCAA-level competition. In total these events will draw an estimated attendance of nearly 30,000. The Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA), a division of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh), estimates the area will see $7.3 million in total economic impact from hosting all these events.

“Baseball is a big deal in this area every spring, but this year we are busting at the seams with it,” said Scott Dupree, GRSA Executive Director. “If you love baseball, there’s no better place to be than Greater Raleigh. From a business perspective baseball will be driving economic impact in this region filling hotels, restaurants and retail stores like never before.”

NCAA DIII Regional
William Peace University will host the NCAA DIII Regional at Ting Stadium in Holly Springs May 17-20. This will be the first NCAA Championship event hosted at Ting Stadium – with the winner advancing to the Division III National Championships (May 25-29) in Appleton, Wisconsin.

National Club Baseball Division I World Series
The National Club Baseball Division I World Series will be held May 25-31, at Ting Stadium. The top eight Division I college club baseball teams in America will descend on Holly Springs for the second straight year to compete for the Club Baseball crown. East Carolina University is the defending national champion.

NCAA DII World Series
Cary’s annual signature event, the NCAA DII World Series hosted by the University of Mount Olive, will take place May 26-June 2 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. The Town of Cary has been home to this event almost every year since 2009 and will continue hosting it through 2022. The DII World Series has made Cary “The Omaha of DII baseball.”

NCHSAA State Championships
The City of Raleigh and the Carolina Mudcats will host the NCHSAA State Championships at Five County Stadium in Zebulon June 1-2. The State Championships will consist of two classifications, each with a best of three format, that will determine the state champions.

USA Baseball Tournament of Stars
The USA Baseball Tournament of Stars will be held June 18-23, at USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary. This tournament gathers the top high school baseball players in America to compete in front of hundreds of college coaches and major league scouts.

Carolina League All-Star Classic
On June 19 the Carolina League All-Star Classic hosted by the Carolina Mudcats will be up to bat at Five County Stadium. This all-star showcase of tomorrow’s rising major league stars is sure to be a hit.

USSSA Atlantic Coast World Series
The USSSA Atlantic Coast World Series is a new event and will take place across multiple venues in Cary and throughout Southwest Wake County. Approximately 200 travel teams (ages 8-14) from the Eastern United States will compete. This amateur baseball event is hosted by the Town of Cary.

In addition to these seven events, The Triangle will also be home to the ACC Baseball Championships, May 22-27, in Durham. North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and East Carolina University are all also in contention to host the NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals. Sites for those games will be announced on May 28.
 

About the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance:
The Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) markets and promotes Raleigh and all of Wake County in order to generate and/or retain sports-related business (tournaments, championships, special events and meetings) for the purpose of economic development. The GRSA's 21-member Advisory Board takes a leadership role in helping to chart the future of the sports event industry in Wake County. The Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance is a division of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh).

About the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh):
The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh), as the official destination marketing organization of Raleigh and Wake County, accelerates sustainable economic growth and development by increasing visitor and convention business. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes more than 15 million visitors annually whose spending tops $2.4 billion. The visitor economy supports more than 25,535 local jobs in Wake County and generates more than $242 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $663 in taxes annually. VisitRaleigh.com.

Media Contact
​Jessica Holt, Public Relations and International Tourism Manager
jholt@visitRaleigh.com
(919) 645-2654

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