Thirty-two teams will descend on Marion this week starting on Thursday for the 2023 Class 5A state baseball and softball tournaments. The action kicks off on Thursday and Friday mornings at 10 a.m., while semifinal Saturday gets going at 12 p.m.
Marion won the rights to host this year’s state tourneys in January. The event will provide major exposure to the Marion School District and a significant boost to the local economy, with tournament participants visiting local restaurants, shops, and hotels.
"We couldn't be more excited about our community hosting the state baseball and softball tournaments," Marion Mayor and former city chamber of commerce director Tracy Brick said earlier this year. "It's such a positive for people from every part of the state in this light. It's a credit to the Marion School District for all of the hard work and investments they've made in those facilities. We are proud of the hotels we have here, and they will certainly benefit from visitors. That's not to mention the restaurants that will definitely benefit from the teams and parents. This will help the city in a big, big way."
Marion’s home fields at First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas Stadium and the Marion Softball Complex will be the primary venues for the tournament, with first-day games also being played at the Tilden Rodgers Complex in West Memphis and the old Marion softball field at the softball complex. Marion's spring sports facilities have undergone myriad improvements over the past few years, including artificial turf fields, bullpens, new bleachers, a press box, hitting facilities, and locker rooms.
“We are excited about having teams from across the state visiting us and playing big games in our beautiful stadiums,” said Marion Athletic Director Derek Harrell. “We are really proud of the improvements we have made recently at our facilities, and we are looking forward to having the biggest games here this spring.”
For the Marion teams, the Patriot baseball squad will open its Class 5A state title defense at 3 p.m. Thursday against the 5A West champion Greenwood. That game will be played at First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas Stadium. The Marion softball tournament opener will begin almost immediately following, when the Patriots take on Harrison at the Marion Softball Complex. The softball game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
Should Marion baseball top Greenwood, the Patriots would play in the quarterfinals on Friday at 5:30, while softball would play on Friday at 12:30. Should softball win its first two games, the Patriots would play in the semifinals on Saturday at 12 p.m., while baseball would play at 2:30 p.m. Championship games will be played the following weekend in Conway.
For a complete preview of the Patriots’ tourney runs, click here.
The full tournament schedule is as follows:
BASEBALL
THURSDAY, MAY 11
BASEBALL FIELD 1 (First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas Stadium at Marion High School)
- Mountain Home-Valley View, 10 a.m.
- Sylvan Hills-Benton, 12:30 p.m.
- MARION-Greenwood, 3 p.m.
- Sheridan-Maumelle, 5:30 p.m.
BASEBALL FIELD 2 (Tilden Rodgers Complex in West Memphis)
- Hot Springs Lakeside-Little Rock Christian, 10 a.m.
- Greene County Tech-Greenbrier, 12:30 p.m.
- Vilonia-Texarkana, 3 p.m.
- Van Buren-Batesville, 5:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, MAY 12
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF EASTERN ARKANSAS STADIUM AT MARION HIGH
- Winner of HS Lakeside-LR Christian and Greene County Tech-Greenbrier, 10 a.m.
- Winner of Vilonia-Texarkana and Van Buren-Batesville, 12:30 p.m.
- Winner of Mountain Home-Valley View and Sylvan Hills-Benton, 3 p.m.
- Winner of Marion-Greenwood and Sheridan-Maumelle, 5:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, MAY 13
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF EASTERN ARKANSAS STADIUM AT MARION HIGH
- First semifinal, 12 p.m.
- Second semifinal, 2:30 p.m.
SOFTBALL
THURSDAY, MAY 11
SOFTBALL FIELD 1 (Marion High School varsity field)
- White Hall-Beebe, 10 a.m.
- Valley View-Greenwood, 12:30 p.m.
- Sylvan Hills-Benton, 3 p.m.
- Harrison-MARION, 5:30 p.m.
SOFTBALL FIELD 2 (Old Marion High softball field)
- Mountain Home-Greene County Tech, 10 a.m.
- Maumelle-Sheridan, 12:30 p.m.
- Searcy-Van Buren, 3 p.m.
- Hot Springs Lakeside-Vilonia, 5:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, MAY 12
MARION HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY FIELD
- Winner of White Hall-Beebe and Valley View-Greenwood, 10 a.m.
- Winner of Sylvan Hills-Benton and Harrison-Marion, 12:30 p.m.
- Winner of Mountain Home-Greene County Tech and Maumelle-Sheridan, 3 p.m.
- Winner of Searcy-Van Buren and HS Lakeside-Vilonia, 5:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, MAY 13
MARION HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY FIELD
- First semifinal, 12 p.m.
- Second semifinal, 2:30 p.m.