Softball fields around Centralia and Chehalis were chock-full of talent over the weekend, when The Yard PNW hosted its first-ever Fall Invitational.
Fifty-six teams from across the country battled across 139 games at Fort Borst Park, Recreation Park, and the Northwest Sports Hub.
Centralia College also hosted a Prospect Camp, which welcomed more than 160 athletes from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Georgia, and British Columbia.
Programs from across the country were in attendance, including Washington, Oregon, UCLA, Stanford, Utah, UNLV, Santa Clara, Northwestern, Portland State, and Illinois, along with several Division II, III, and NAIA schools.
The event also brought together multiple prominent softball figures, including Morgan Stuart, who won a national championship at the University of Washington in 2009 and hosted a defensive camp at the NW Sports Hub.
“Our goal was to create a platform that celebrates Northwest athletes and connects them to opportunity,” Event Director and Yard Founder Parker Zbaraschuk said. “Seeing college coaches fly here instead of our athletes having to fly out was incredible. It happened. It’s proof that the Pacific Northwest can host events that rival any region in the country, and we’re ready to do just that.”
Zbaraschuk added that The Yard PNW “continues to expand its mission of providing development, visibility, and access for young athletes throughout the region,” and it looks forward to this becoming an annual event.
