Spectators may not hear the crack of the bat as they do at a traditional baseball game, but the upcoming wiffle ball tournament planned at Octorara will feature just as much excitement and competition.
The 10th annual Octorara Invitational Indoor Wiffle Ball Tournament will be held in the Octorara Junior-Senior High School and Intermediate School gymnasiums on Friday, Feb. 25, from 5 to 11 p.m. and on Saturday, Feb. 26, beginning at 8 a.m.
The game, often called a simplified version of baseball, is played indoors using a lightweight bat and wiffle ball, which is hollow and made with plastic. As part of the tournament rules, teams are made up of five players, and like baseball, the goal is to score the most runs.
According to Phil Capotrio, one of the event organizers, the first Octorara Wiffle Ball Tournament was held in 2011. "The tournament founder was Phil Rudisill from the Octorara Baseball Boosters. (It was held) as a way to raise money for the junior high and high school baseball teams," Capotrio said, noting that the event was canceled in 2021 because of the pandemic. "Missing last year really hurt us, as the tournament is one, if not the largest, fundraiser for the baseball team. So participation and turnout are more important than ever."
Each year, about 30 to 40 teams take part in the tournament. "We are hoping for the same turnout, if not more," Capotrio said.
Each team will play at least two games in the tournament. Age brackets include the Rookie Circuit, which is open to students in fourth through sixth grades, and the Junior Circuit, which is for students in seventh and eighth grades. There is also a Senior Circuit, which is open to ninth-graders through adults.
Teams in the tournament vary from groups of dads to moms or teams from Octorara. "One of the nice things about it is that you don't have to be good at baseball," said Capotrio. "The soccer team (from Octorara) signs up as a team. We would like to see more girls involved at the youth level. Softball players out there (are invited to) compete."
In addition to crowning the tournament champions, a prize is awarded for Best Dressed Team in each division. "One of the best parts of the tournament is the creativity that people put into their uniforms," Capotrio said. "You should dress your part as your team's name. One year, I was in team America, and we dressed up as different branches of the military. You want to be comfortable and appropriate, but we encourage people to be creative."
Spectators are also invited to attend. "If you can't or don't want to play, we encourage people to come out and watch to enjoy some great wiffle ball fun and enjoy some concessions," Capotrio said. "We will have hot dogs and pizza - typical ballpark stuff."
A fee will be charged per team. To register and for more information, visit https://sites.google.com/octorara.org/octwiffle/home.
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