As the Bill Reynolds Sports Park III prepares to open, get ready for an influx of baseball and softball players from across the tri-state area!

Nearly 15 tournaments have been scheduled at the new complex within the next four months. These tournaments mean Bainbridge will see another major economic impact, thanks to recreation improvements made by the city. The tournaments will also allow Bainbridge to show off its new state-of-the-art sports complex, which can compete with any in the area.

The complex has eight multipurpose baseball and softball fields, five basketball courts and two multipurpose soccer and football fields. The baseball and softball fields are built in two quads, each with its own score room, equipment room, meeting room, storage room, ice machine and concession stands.

The concession stands are set up to sell candy and snacks like the other Bainbridge ball fields do, but they will also be able to provide hamburgers and fried foods such as French fries, fried pickles and the like.

Next to the concession stand, patrons can sit at a covered pavilion with heated and air-conditioned restrooms nearby. There are also three other pavilions at each quad, covered with tables, fans and electrical outlets.

The site has space for more than 500 vehicles and spectators can enjoy covered bleachers to sit on while watching a game. Teams will enjoy a very spacious dugout, big enough to both store their equipment and allow room to walk around.

You can also find a three-lane batting cage on site. One neat feature some teams will enjoy is an electrical plug located by the pitching mound. That’s right—no more extension cords stretched across the field for pitching machine games! When the pitching machine is not being used, the outlet will be covered.

The Bill Reynolds Sports Park isn’t the only recreation facility that will see action in the coming month. The mega ramp site will also be bustling with excitement this month as we welcome back the American Bass Anglers for a Toyota Tundra Weekend Series tournament. Two-hundred anglers have been invited to compete here, a stop along the trail where one angler will win a spot in the Bassmaster Classic.

The weigh-in for the tournament will be held on Saturday, Feb. 12, at 3 p.m. at Earle May Boat Basin Park.

Bainbridge is also set to host the Georgia-Florida Junior Tennis Championships April 2-5. We will welcome nearly 200 young tennis players and their families to town during those four days.

As we prepare to see these anglers and other athletes visit from around the Southeast, remember to welcome them! These visitors and their families are injecting new dollars into our community while they are eating, sleeping and playing here.

For more information on Bill Reynolds Sports Park III, the mega ramps and any upcoming events, visit the city’s Web site, www.bainbridgecity.com. You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BainbridgeGA or visit our blog www.bainbridgecity.blogspot.com.