Hotlanta Will Be On Fire For Big Peach Tourney

Since 1985 gay softball players from the Southeast and around the country have made Atlanta their pre-summer stop on the NAGAAA tournament circuit and 2014 is no different.

The Big Peach Softball Tournament is sold out this weekend.  The tournament committee caps the number of teams at 50 over the C & D divisions.  This isn’t a new phenomenon for the Atlanta-based tournament as it has sold out for the last seven years in a row.  The Pool Play schedule has been released for the tournament with games slated to start at 7:30 am on Saturday morning.

Kyle Miller is the co-tournament director for the fourth consecutive year and he feels that the Big Peach is in a class all its own.  “We are the only Memorial Day weekend tournament that is sold out and I’m extremely pleased with our amazing committee who continues to put on a flawless tournament year after year,” said Miller.

The Big Peach staff gets their hometown league heavily involved with the tournament and it shows with their Thursday night registration bag stuffing party and beer bust at FROGS Cantina (early out-of-town players are welcome).  Registration begins on Friday night at two different locations separated by division.  The C Division registration festivities will be held at Burkhart’s Pub, while the D Division registration will be at the Hideaway.  The Metro Atlanta Softball Complex is the competition site for the Big Peach Softball Tournament.  The complex has 6 fields that will all be in use.  Food trucks will be available all weekend long at the complex to satisfy all of your hunger before, in between and after the games.

You won’t want to miss the 5th annual Mr. Big Peach contest on Saturday night at Blake’s on the Park.  Here is a link to last year’s Mr. Pig Peach winner (Caution: Possibly NSFW).  The contest stakes are higher than ever with up to $500 in cash and prizes being awarded.  Trophies will be presented on Sunday night after the games conclude at the Heretic.  The host hotel for the tournament is the gorgeous W Hotel in Midtown Atlanta.

The weather is looking good for the tournament with high temperatures in the mid to upper 80’s with low temperatures in the mid 60’s all weekend.  The tournament committee has announced a one umpire set up for pool play with a two umpire set up for double elimination games.  All teams are guaranteed 4 games over the weekend.  Trophies will be awarded to the top 3 teams in each divisions along with some other unique awards given out that get all the teams involved in the hardware department.  Awards will be given for the “Best Team Home Base” and “Team Spirit” giving teams a chance to set up shop at the fields and make the complex their own over the weekend along with rewarding teams that display a great attitude, willingness to have fun and those that display sportsmanship along the way.

The tournament committee is expecting over 1,000 players and fans to attend the tournament and the Big Peach staff appreciates their support.  “We know that players and fans have options for a tournament over Memorial Day weekend and we are thrilled that they continue to come back and enjoy what Atlanta has to offer,” said Kyle Miller, tournament co-director.

The Big Peach is literally jam-packed with events over this Memorial Day weekend, but if you can get away for a bit, the tournament is also offering discounted tickets to Six Flags Over Georgia to appeal to any players not getting enough thrills on the fields!  For updated information on the tournament check out the Big Peach Facebook page for details.

One thing is for sure, if you come away from the Big Peach without being entertained it’s your own fault.  There are just too many options in addition to the tournament competition over the weekend to go home without a story or two from your trip.

*The DD would like to thank Kyle Miller, Big Peach co-director for his contributions to this tournament spotlight.*