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Mar, 2019

PONY Girls Softball announces inaugural International World Series

PONY Baseball and Softball is proud to announce that, for the first time, it will hold an International Girls Softball World Series to determine two world champions of PONY Girls Softball. These four-day tournaments and a college showcase will feature two age divisions (Pony 14U and Colt/Palomino 16/18U) and will be held in Deer Park, Texas July 23-27, 2019 at Deer Park’s brand new Adult Softball Complex and Softball Fields.

“We have discussed the possibility of a true World Series for PONY Girls Softball for many years,” said Abraham Key, President & CEO of PONY Baseball and Softball. “This is our first effort in two age groups with a college showcase, and we are very excited about the possibilities. Deer Park has tremendous leadership and facilities and will be an awesome inaugural host.”

At the 2018 PONY International Board of Directors Meeting in October, the PONY’s Girls Softball Committee proposed the idea of determining a true world champion through a tournament, in similar fashion as PONY Baseball’s World Series events. Previously, PONY’s top Girls Softball events ended at the Zone level (East Zone Softball Nationals, South Zone Softball World Series and West Zone Softball World Series). With a consensus of support from the other Zone Softball Directors and PONY Girls Softball Director Karen Reese and then approval from the entire International Board of Directors, the idea became a reality.

In addition to two world-class and competitive tournaments, the PONY International Girls Softball World Series will feature a showcase conducted by college coaches. This showcase will spotlight the abilities of the tournament’s players, who are considered among the best in the world.

"The South Zone is honored to host the inaugural PONY International World Series,” said South Zone Vice President Arnulfo Banda. “The event will feature some of the best teams in the world. We are also proud to be featuring the event as a showcase for college coaches. We are anticipating the attendance of college coaches from all over the state of Texas who will be looking at potential recruits for their programs. Our goal is to provide a high quality event that everyone can enjoy with the added benefit that some of the players will get signed to a college scholarship."

Deer Park PONY Baseball will serve as the official host of the PONY International Girls Softball World Series, and the event will be played at its two, five-field complexes. Located within the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area, Deer Park is a growing community, home to over 32,000 people. Nicknamed the “Birthplace of Texas” because it is the site where the Battle of San Jacinto’s peace treaty was signed in 1836, allowing Texas to win its independence from Mexico, Deer Park is 25 minutes from downtown Houston. Deer Park has been awarded a contender spot on the CNN list of 100 Best Places to Live, as recently as 2011. Deer Park also has served as a gracious host for many of the PONY South Zone’s Baseball Zone Championships.

“We are very excited to welcome the PONY Girls Softball International World Series to Deer Park,” said Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton. “Our city, especially our Parks and Recreation Department, takes great pride in offering state-of-the-art facilities for sporting events such as this, and we’re especially looking forward to having visitors from around the world explore all the attractions we have to offer. I would encourage all of our residents and the entire Houston community to come to Deer Park and enjoy this tournament.”

"The Deer Park Chamber of Commerce is honored to join with the City of Deer Park in welcoming the 2019 International Girls World Series Softball Tournament," said Tim Culp, Deer Park Chamber of Commerce President & CEO. "We want our guests to know that our business members stand ready to meet your needs. It is extremely exciting for us to be able to showcase our facilities and hospitality. We have firsthand knowledge of Deer Park’s quality of life as both residents and workers. It is because of each individual’s hard work and diligence that has lead Deer Park to be chosen on different occasions as one of the best places to live and do business. We have a saying at the Deer Park Chamber of Commerce, and it is “It’s A Great Day to be in Deer Park, Texas” and we can’t wait to show you why."

The organizing committee, which is led by PONY Region Director and Tournament Chairman TJ Haight is in the midst of building a world-class event around a showcase tournament, beginning with the World Series’ Opening Ceremonies, which are tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. CT/US, Tues., July 23 at Deer Park High School’s 10,000-seat Abshier Stadium. Teams are expected to check-in earlier that afternoon.

“It’s a great opportunity for the city,” said Haight. “We have a lot to offer. There’s a lot around this area. The foreign teams can see what Texas is all about--our culture here, our southern hospitality, if you will. We welcome everybody. It’ll be a great opportunity for the City of Deer Park to show good faith, and PONY receives the ultimate benefit from it–good fellowship, good games and good camaraderie. Hopefully, they’ll leave with some good memories.”

Follow PONY.org as well as PONY Baseball and Softball’s social media accounts for more announcements leading up to the event.

PONY Baseball and Softball

1951 PONY Place, PO Box 225
Washington, Pennsylvania 15301
PHONE : 724-225-1060
FAX: 724-225-9852
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