Boonville city leaders hope a new facility with four turf baseball and softball fields can help boost the city’s tourism revenue.
Boonville’s new “Ballparks Central” hosted its first official tournament in March.
The facility is also set to host a Mid-Missouri softball competition, drawing in teams and families from Macon to Wentzville and in between. Ballpark officials are expecting eight teams, 24 coaches, 96 players and roughly 200 spectators for the inaugural games.
“The idea behind it was to build it right in the middle right off of I-70 and hopefully draw teams who normally don’t see each other. St. Louis teams come to the middle, the Kansas City teams come to the middle, and then they get to see each other without having to make the four-hour drive to do it,” Ballparks Central Director of Operations Barrett White said.
Although the first official tournament is among Mid-Missouri teams, White said there are several larger tournaments scheduled for the spring.
Jim Gann, Economic Developer for Boonville and Cooper County, said this development parallels a previous private investment into a seven-field soccer complex.
Based on Ballparks Central’s capacity and current sign-ups, the facility is projected to draw approximately 73,000 visitors per year, which mirrors attendance at Boonville’s soccer complex.
Gann said city leaders are hoping that generates about $3 million in annual spending.
