National Beep Baseball Association

Justin Romack

2021 Wichita

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Visit Wichita:

Visit is in bright Green and Wichita is underneath in Turquoise Blue

Contact: Jessica Sawatski, Public Relations Manager, jsawatski@visitwichita.com, 316.660.6319

World Series of Beep Baseball Headed to Wichita in 2021

Visit Wichita collaborates with Envision to score international series for athletes who are blind or visually impaired.

Wichita, Kan. (Aug. 6, 2019) – In 2021, the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA) will bring its World Series to Wichita. The last time Wichita hosted the series was in 1978.

The series offers individuals who are blind or visually impaired an opportunity to compete for a championship, and is one of the most renowned sports events for athletes who are blind or visually impaired. The sport is played with an over sized softball that beeps and lets the batter time their swing.

Visit Wichita was awarded the NBBA World Series of Beep Baseball after a competitive process, which included a bid in Braille and a presentation in front of the NBBA Board of Directors and tournament committee in Tulsa (site of the 2019 NBBA World Series) earlier this month. Envision partnered with Visit Wichita to help create the bid in Braille and will also provide support for the World Series when it takes place in Wichita through promotional assistance, sponsor recruitment, volunteers and sponsorship of the participating Wichita Falcons Beep Baseball team.

“Winning the bid for the 2021 NBBA World Series of Beep Baseball is a testament to the thoughtful bid created by Visit Wichita in collaboration with Envision, and will provide a significant economic boost for the Wichita tourism and hospitality industry,” said Josh Howell, sports sales manager at Visit Wichita. “We are honored and thrilled that the NBBA will bring its most prestigious event, showcasing some of the sport’s most extraordinary athletes, to Wichita in 2021.”

The event will take place July 25 through Aug. 1 at South Lakes Soccer Complex. One team from Kansas – the Wichita Falcons – and approximately 20 teams from across the United States, Canada, and other countries from across the world are expected to travel to Wichita in pursuit of a world championship. Additionally, more than 400 beep baseball players will compete, creating a considerable tourism boost to the local community. The event is expected to generate an estimated 1,500 hotel room nights and nearly $1 million in local economic impact.

“Wichita’s selection for the 2021 World Series of Beep Baseball is a big milestone for our community and its diversity and inclusion initiatives that embrace and promote the talents and contributions of individuals who are blind or visually impaired – which was a major selling point with the NBBA board and selection committee,” said Michael Monteferrante, president and CEO of Envision. “Through Envision, Wichita is already one of the largest providers of services, programs and employment for people with vision loss in the nation. Hosting this tournament will only increase our city’s stature as a destination for people of all abilities.”

Beep baseball originated in 1964, when Charlie Fairbanks, an engineer with a telephone company, implanted a beeping device in a softball as a way of encouraging athletes who are blind to become involved in recreational activities. Eleven years later, beep baseball enthusiasts formed the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA) in Chicago. Ever since, the league has played a full schedule of games that begins in the spring and ends in late July or early August.

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“Beep baseball empowers individuals to learn about being part of a team, how to build a team, becoming physically fit, increasing self-confidence and competing against others across the United States, Canada, and various other countries annually, for the honor of being champion,” said Blake Boudreaux, President of the NBBA.

During the NBBA World Series of beep baseball, teams first compete in grouped round robin play to determine seeding. The tournament then continues as a double elimination tournament to determine the champion. Under this format, teams are guaranteed a minimum of six games, with most teams playing an average of nine.

Beep baseball has many distinctions from the traditional format of baseball. Listed here is a summary of the differences:

  • A beep baseball game lasts six (6) innings. Each game involves a 16-inch softball that contains a noisemaking “beep.” When a pin is pulled from the ball, the beeping noise begins, allowing players to better follow the ball.
  • All players wear blindfolds. While some players are completely blind, others have very limited sight capabilities. The blindfolds serve as an equalizer, a fair way to level the playing field, ensuring that all players are essentially sightless when playing the game.
  • The pitchers, who are typically sighted, throw the ball from 20 feet away. Pitchers are teammates of the hitters, so they actually try to groove each pitch toward the same spot to maximize the hitter’s rate of success. According to baseballhall.org, the only sighted players on the field are “pitchers, catchers and spotters that help to prevent serious collisions.”
  • Each hitter has up to four strikes, instead of the usual three. When a hitter makes contact, he or she then runs to one of two “bases,” which are located to the left and right of where the first and third base bags would normally be. If the batter reaches one of the two designated bases before the fielding team gains control of the ball, a run is tallied for the offensive team. If the fielding team controls the ball before the batter reaches the goal, the batter is considered out. As in regular baseball, each team receives three outs before having to take its defensive position in the field.
  • There is no second base. First and third bases, four-foot padded cylinders with speakers, are placed one hundred feet down the respective lines and ten feet outside the foul lines. The bases contain sounding units that give off a continuous buzzing noise when activated.
  • A player does one of three things when batting: hit the ball and be put out by the defense, hit the ball and score a run, or strike out. A batter is allowed four strikes and one pass ball.

      • Visit Wichita is proud to host the World Series again, bringing it back to Wichita after more than 40 years. “The players’ entire families come with them. They’ll likely visit iconic Wichita landmarks like the Keeper of the Plains, the city’s distinct downtown districts and many of our world-class museums and attractions,” said Brian Hargrove, executive director of sports development at Visit Wichita. “It’s another opportunity for a sporting event to draw in visitors from across the country and showcase what an amazing sports city Wichita is, and we can’t wait to play host in the summer of 2021.”

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      About Visit Wichita
      Visit Wichita markets the Greater Wichita area and advocates for the city as a destination, increasing travel and tourism as a key economic driver for the city, county, region and state. Visit Wichita is led by president and CEO Susie Santo, and in 2018 travel and tourism contributed more than $1.1 billion in economic impact to the greater Wichita area.

Titans “cashing” in on success of youth, determination and culture.

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16-year-old multi-sport athlete, Tyler Cashman, is a bright star amidst the youth uprising happening in the New Jersey beep baseball scene. Collecting his first hit and run, Cashman is a piece of the future for a Titans organization clearly turning heads in 2019.

Omar with the New Jersey Titans runs to a base.As any athlete would attest, collecting those first key milestones, like a hit or run, are the necessary motivation to boost any rookie’s confidence. For New Jersey Titans’ Tyler Cashman, those milestones just happened to come during the Indy Beep Ball Bonanza against the reigning world-champion Indy Thunder.
“When I hit the ball, it was a little crazy,” said Cashman. “I heard third base go off and I started running. It felt weird, but exciting.”
And for a team that’s seen a few changes over the past 12 months, Cashman is an exciting addition to the hopeful future of the Titans organization. Son of the club’s new President, Casey Cashman, Tyler brings heart, excitement and an athletic background to the squad.
A long-time fan of baseball, and more specifically the New York Yankees, Tyler says the sport has always been his favorite. But as his eyesight began declining two years ago, he was unsure how, or if at all, he’d continue staying engaged with the game he enjoys.
“Baseball has been the one sport he loved, so seeing him back in that box and scoring this run makes me so happy,” said Casey Cashman. “It meant even more seeing the field erupt and all of the support from this team. I’m proud to be part of such a supportive organization like this.”
Nestor Gonzalez, coach and father of Damien, another youth star for New Jersey, remembers vividly as he watched Tyler dig into the batter’s box for the milestone at-bat.
“I told him to relax and swing the bat. I let him know we’d find him,” said Gonzalez. “It was a 2-0 count and he laced one opposite field. Greg (pitcher) and I were pumping our fists and the bench just erupted when he tagged that bag.”
For veteran and teammate, LaMont Bortley, the hit and run was a reminder to him of his first big moments and why he’s stuck with the game through the years.
“When you get that first hit with those shades on, you are hooked,” says Bortley. “That was an exciting moment for us and I know he’ll remember it for a long time.”
A native of Tewksbury, Tyler is consistently finding ways to be an impactful player on any team where he’s involved. The school district’s only visually impaired varsity athlete, Tyler competes in goal ball and blind golf, and is also the driving force behind Points for Pain, a nonprofit which combines his love of athletics with helping those dealing with chronic disease.
Randy George, a five-year veteran of beep baseball and teammate, says it’s been encouraging to be at the heart of the league’s youth movement. “It couldn’t have happened to a better kid,” said George.
“It’s been fantastic to watch him,” said George. “Success breeds success. Once you know you can do it, the sky is the limit.”
It’s easy to see success when a teenager makes waves against an international powerhouse like the Thunder. But what has many intrigued about the Titans is their new look, personnel changes and family-like culture, which many boast as the motivator for their rise in the standings this season.
Entering the World Series tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the New Jersey Titans are slotted as the #9 team in the league, seeding them inside the top ten, with a real chance to make some noise this year.
George and Bortley note that this team really hasn’t stepped off the gas since departing the fields from last year’s tournament. “From the jump this year, everyone has had high expectations for where we’re going,” said George.
“Each time we step on the field, we have a desire to get better and put in the work,” said George. “We’ve really worked hard to be that cohesive unit.”
Gonzalez, or “Ness” to his Titan family, says “it was an honor to be asked to help (as a coach.) I want to see these guys succeed.”
“As we’ve worked this season, I’ve wanted them to own it,” said Gonzalez. “We all want to do better than where we were last year. We know where we fell short, but also know where our strengths are. I respect these guys for wanting to be challenged both inside and outside of the lines.”
With big moments, excitement and youthful energy, this New Jersey crew is headed south with momentum. Casey is proud of where her team is and says the Titans are one of a kind.
“Everyone wants to do their best for one another because we truly are a Titan family,” said Casey. “On and off that field, we’re here for each other.”
So how do you follow up your first big hit and performance? For Tyler, he’s resting his wrist, after fracturing it while diving into the base on the play. But Casey is optimistic Tyler will be swinging a bat when the Beast of the East tournament comes through New Jersey in early July.
“I just want to get better and help this team,” said Tyler. “I play goal ball and stay conditioned, and I’m keeping up with the live streams so I’m ready.”
As many around the league echo, don’t sleep on these Titans. With Tyler and Damien rising through the ranks, New Jersey is setting itself up for a long run of success with its youth and supportive culture. As the league watches and waits, Tulsa will be the test of their 2019 efforts.
Editor’s Note: Tyler has made a full recovery and was able to participate in the Beast of the East tournament, going three for eight and putting five balls into play. Also worth noting is Damien Gonzalez’, who plated his first run against the Toronto Blind Jays during the tournament.

Behind the Scenes on Saturday Morning Beep Baseball, Spring Training, Home Runs and Mentorship

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March brings spring, bluer skies and beep baseball season for many teams around the league. Take30 is following the stories you want to hear about as teams are ramping up for Tulsa later this year.

In this episode, we bounce from Indiana to Illinois to Texas as we talk to players about why the game of beep baseball matters most in their world. In the March episode of Take30 you’ll hear all about:

  • Darnell Booker of the Indy Thunder talks about the energy and emotions wrapped up in playing deep into the series … and taking the field on Saturday morning.
  • Richie Schultz takes us into the batting cages with the Chicago Comets as they get in some indoor work.
  • Ron Jordan of the Tyler Tigers talks about his power stroke.
  • Hillary Oswald with the BCS Outlaws shares some of the work that goes into getting a young team off the ground and what it means to balance personal growth and mentorship.

If there’s a story you want to hear on Take30, remember to drop us a line at podcast@nbba.org. Don’t forget to like, share and comment – and we’ll see you in April!

Beep Baseball on MLB Network, National Fitness Challenge and Greg Gontaryk – Take30 for February 2019

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Tune in, turn up and take note of the buzz around the wide world of beep baseball.

This month’s installment of Take30 takes us to Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Pennsylvania with several stories of success, spirit and strength.

Here’s a taste of what we covered in this month’s episode of Take30. (Don’t forget, we want your feedback on how to make this show the best it can be. Hop over to the Take30 official podcast page and drop us a line on what you want to hear about in future episodes.)

  • justin and Steve give a 30,000-foot view on what Take30 is and why we’re doing it.
  • Kalari Girtley-Jackson with the Chicago Comets shares the excitement of taking part in MLB Network’s first spotlight on beep baseball. If you haven’t seen the piece yet, take a few minutes to watch the MLB Network clip on Kalari and others from around the league.
  • Kyle and Rebecca Lewis talk about the Indy Thunder and the National Fitness Challenge sponsored by the United States Association of Blind Athletes and the Anthem Foundation.
  • Steve talks with Greg Gontaryk of the Philly Fire in this month’s player spotlight.

Big things are happening – and we want you to be along for the ride. Keep tuning in, keep sending feedback and let’s build this thing together! Until next month …

Beep baseball gets callup with major league coverage

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Carlos Pena swings and connects with the beep baseball.With the off-season in full swing, the fall and winter grind can feel long and lonely in the beep baseball world.

But earlier this month, a couple of former major league superstars donned blindfolds as they took the field with several members of the New Jersey Titans along with Kalari Girtley-Jackson of the Chicago Comets to showcase the grit, electricity and competition of the game. [Read more…] about Beep baseball gets callup with major league coverage

Getting an “Edge” on 2019 and the Philly Fire’s own, Johnny Ma

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Take30 is here … the moment we’ve been waiting to share with you for a couple of months now.

This show is nothing … I repeat, nothing … without your feedback, contributions and suggestions. Don’t be shy! Send us the good bad and ugly so we can deliver only the best stories and sounds of the game direct for your listening pleasure.

Just a little reminder: We’re not on Apple Podcasts just yet – but should be within the next week or two. Keep watching the National Beep Baseball Association Facebook page for a note wehn we’re live in your favorite podcasting app.

If you like what you hear, please share and tag us! We want the world to experience the intensity, the passion and the competitiveness of this game of ours … so let’s get the word out far and wide.

Play hard, go hard, grind hard … and we’ll see you in February!