AHSAA signs 5-year agreement to keep baseball, softball state championships at Oxford, Jacksonville State

Championship trophies will be handed out on the diamonds at Choccolocco Park, Jim Case Stadium through 2027

Staff Report
Posted 12/8/22

MONTGOMERY – The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s State Baseball and Softball Championships have found a permanent home – at least for the next five years.

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AHSAA signs 5-year agreement to keep baseball, softball state championships at Oxford, Jacksonville State

Championship trophies will be handed out on the diamonds at Choccolocco Park, Jim Case Stadium through 2027

Posted

MONTGOMERY – The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s State Baseball and Softball Championships have found a permanent home – at least for the next five years.

AHSAA Executive Director Alvin Briggs announced Wednesday, Dec. 7, an agreement has been reached with the City of Oxford and Jacksonville State University to host the AHSAA State Baseball Championships and State Softball Championships at Oxford’s Choccolocco Park and Jacksonville State University’s Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium, respectively, through 2027.

The AHSAA State Softball Championships moved to Choccolocco Park in the spring of 2021 and returned in 2022. The softball championships consist of eight-team double elimination tournaments in each of the AHSAA’s seven classes.

The AHSAA State Baseball Championships were moved last spring to Choccolocco Park’s signature baseball field for game one of each of the best 2-of-3 championship series for each classification. The final two games, if needed, were played at JSU last spring due to schedule conflict at Montgomery’s Riverwalk Stadium.

The Bayshore Christian baseball team, as well as the Orange Beach softball team, returned to Baldwin County with state titles from this past spring's tournaments.

Both sites drew rave reviews from AHSAA member schools and fans that attended the 2021 and 2022 softball championships and the 2022 baseball championships.

“We are excited to have our state championships in both sports locked in for the next five years and hopefully for many years to come,” Briggs said. “Our experience with softball at Choccolocco Park and baseball last spring at Choccolocco Park and JSU was incredible. We had packed crowds for most of our games. Both sites provided real championship experiences and life-long memories for our teams, schools and communities that traveled to attend.”

Oxford Mayor Alton Craft and Oxford Parks and Recreation Director Don Hudson are both excited about the new agreement.

“We are grateful to host the state softball finals at Choccolocco Park and to co-host the AHSAA state baseball finals with Jacksonville State University,” said Craft. “The city of Oxford is proud to partner with the Alabama High School Athletic Association for these premier championships, and we are looking forward to creating memorable experiences for our participants and guests.”

“We are very proud to host the 2023 state softball tournament and co-host the 2023 state baseball tournament,” Hudson added. “We are very pleased we have such a great working relationship with the AHSAA. We are honored to host such a prestigious event.”

JSU President Don Killingsworth said, “Jacksonville State is excited about continuing our longstanding relationship with the AHSAA in hosting the baseball state championships for the next five years. We look forward to partnering with the city of Oxford in hosting this tremendous event.”

Greg Seitz, JSU’s Athletic Director, has been working with AHSAA championships for many years.

“Jacksonville State couldn’t be more excited to secure the AHSAA Baseball Finals at Jim Case Stadium for the next five years,” he said. “We felt that the event in 2022 was a tremendous success and are proud to be a part of that going forward. Our partnership with hosting AHSAA events goes back many years, and we look forward to crowning state champions on our campus and hosting those student-athletes and their fans for many years to come.”

The new contract, which begins May 15-20, 2023, will solidify the two spring sports championships on fields that have hosted a number of state and national events.

Choccolocco Park has a signature field for softball and baseball, and JSU’s Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium is one of the South’s premier collegiate baseball stadiums.