The Indiana Little League District Administrators’ Association has selected the Hagerstown Little League to be the host for the state tournament for ages 9 to 11 in 2024.
The tournament will be from Thursday, July 25, through Tuesday, July 30, at the Hagerstown Little League Park. The last time Hagerstown hosted a Little League state tournament for any age group was in 1996.
There are 10 districts around the state. Teams will qualify for a trip to Hagerstown by winning their district tournament. Hagerstown will not be granted an automatic berth as the host. They will have to win their district to qualify for inclusion in the elite field.
Hagerstown Little League president Shawn Murphy said that they are excited to have been selected as the host site. “We are looking forward to the event,” Murphy said. “We are proud of our history and our facilities, and we look forward to showcasing Hagerstown to the rest of the state.”
Apart from being a defining event in the lives of young athletes, Little League tournaments can represent a significant economic impact for host towns. Similar state-level tournaments in the U.S. have infused tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars or more into local lodging, retail, restaurant and transportation industries.
A version of this article appeared in the January 17 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.