OCONTO, WI – Little League Baseball and Softball remains in limbo as COVID-19 starts to impact summer plans.
“We are holding onto hope for right now.”
Jason Martin, President of Oconto Little League says they are not ready to pull the plug on the tournament that brings in teams from all around the area because it is a big fundraiser and big for the economy in Oconto. He says because of the number of people, the State of Wisconsin would need to be fully open by the weekend of June 19 for the tournament to happen.
“We need to have no restrictions,” Martin said. “This is our one fundraiser, so I don’t think we would be able to do it right under restriction.”
The Softball Tournament, which is scheduled for the week before, has an alternate date of August 21- August 23 if needed.
“If we can’t have it that weekend, I don’t want to move it to a date where we are stepping on the toes of other tournaments.”
Martin says around 60 teams participate
“There is probably around 5,000 people who come and between the two days, probably around 10,000 people total.”
At this time, league play has not started and has been delayed for now.
The association is in the process of contacting parents who signed up around 150 kids this winter to make sure they still want to have them play.
Governor Tony Evers’s safer-at-home order expires on May 26, though a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling is pending on whether extending it from April 25 was legal.
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