16U Midwest World Series ready to roll

The busiest stretch of the 2022 campaign at Prospect Meadows continues this weekend with the 16U WWBA World Series that runs Thursday through Sunday.

The incredibly busy stretch began last week and will run through July 31, with a grand total of approximately 500 teams from 17 states flocking to the complex.

They’ll bring an estimated 18,000 people to the area over that period, with most of those folks staying for three days apiece in local hotels.

This is the fourth year for baseball and softball at Prospect Meadows and Jack Roeder, the president and CEO, anticipates the best year yet.

There are 43 teams in the 16U Midwest World Series from eight states. 

There are 18 teams from Illinois, eight from Wisconsin, six from Missouri, four from Minnesota, two from Kansas and one apiece from Georgia, Indiana and Iowa.

Iowa is the only state that plays summer high school baseball, which explains why there’s only one team from Iowa in the tournament.

It’s been very hot in Iowa this week, with temperatures in the 90’s, but Roeder welcomes the warm conditions. “It’s good for sales at the concession stand,” he joked.