By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
When you look at the Class 2-1A State Baseball Championship bracket, there are teams with high schools located in towns with populations under 500. While a few of the cities are not huge, the travel and support jokingly feels like the whole town shuts down to cheer on their team.
Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Christina Hayes and the City of Great Bend are preparing for eight teams and communities to come to town for the state tournament that begins this Thursday.
"For businesses and citizens in general, when we have visitors in town it's so important to send people to the Explore Great Bend Facebook page or our website," said Hayes. "Last time, we had a few issues with KCAC where they didn't realize where to go to eat, shop and things they could go do."
This May marks the 10th year that Great Bend has hosted the state tournament at the Great Bend Sports Complex in partnership with USD 428 and the Great Bend Recreation Commission.
The 2-1A State Championship will have teams like St. Mary’s Colgan travel as much as 264 miles to Great Bend for the tournament and teams like Thomas More Prep and Pratt-Skyline that travel as little as 60 miles. Play begins at 11 a.m. on both Thursday and Friday at the Sports Complex.
"This is just a quick reminder to welcome these ball teams," added Hayes.
Great Bend was chosen along with Manhattan, Salina, Wichita and Lawrence as host sites in 2024.