Wiffleball's National Champion To Be Decided In Hamilton This Weekend

It is fall, so it is not surprising to see organized football and soccer games on an open patch of grass.

But if you happen to pass by this weekend you won’t see kids with shin pads or shoulder pads. You will witness something you don’t always with so many people involved, or in a way you never have encountered.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Golden Stick Tournament Circuit National Championship of wiffleball will be held in Hamilton. Twenty teams from all over the country will by vying for bragging rights and their part of $3,000 in payouts.

And this is nothing like a whiffleball game where you might toss the ball to your friends.

The plastic orb will be thrown at speeds of up to 90 mph, with dips, curves and risers almost unheard of. The field is 85 feet down the line and 100 feet to straightaway centerfield, with inflatable plastic outfield walls. There will be eight fields set up for the first day until the field of competitors is whittled down.

“For a first-time viewer – since it is local – it is an absolute must-see,” said Golden Stick president Lou Levesque, a Hamilton resident since 2002. “I think people will really be taken aback by what they will see. Most people don’t know a ball that light can do what it does.”

There is no cost to attend and the concession stands will be open for refreshments. Levesque suggests you bring a chair and watch a few games. Or all of them.

Bringing the tournament to Hamilton occurred by happenstance. 

Levesque, 35, plays in a Golden Stick wiffleball league. A couple years ago there was an all-star game between Massachusetts and New York at Pingree Park. Phil Tocci, the Hamilton-Wenham Little League president, stopped by with his three sons.

Players from both teams showed the Tocci boys grips and ways to throw the ball. They also sent them home with equipment. It was unbeknownst to Levesque that it was someone who could help him bring the National Championship to his North Shore town.

“Quite honestly, one of Hamilton’s best assets is its parks and fields,” said Tocci. “This is another gem in the crown for Hamilton in leveraging its best asset.”

Tocci believes this is a great opportunity for Hamilton to show off its parks, hospitality and downtown businesses.

“We’re going to do our best to get crowds down there,” he said. “I think this is a hidden gem and it is a great family activity can be attended by all.

“Anything that brings visitors to our towns, that’s the ancillary benefit. Supporting local businesses by driving them to the downtown will be great.”

Each team consists of a pitcher and three fielders. The games last 5 innings.

There will be pool play – four groups with five teams in each – starting Saturday at 9 a.m. The final eight, which will be double elimination, starts at around 5 p.m. and will play under the lights. On Sunday, the rest of the final eight double-elimination will be completed, followed by the final four at noon.

Levesque said the tournament was in Texas for eight years before moving to Phoenix last year. He doesn’t see why it can’t remain in his hometown for the foreseeable future.

“This sport is so demographically diverse it is appealing to everyone,” he said. “If I had to put an average age, I’d say 26, but we have a player from western Mass. who is 50. Here fat kids beat skinny kids and skinny kids beat jacked-up guys. Everyone can play successfully.”