Leesburg’s Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex is playing host to NCAA Division I softball.
In conjunction with The Spring Games organization, more than a dozen college softball teams from across the country will be playing games in Leesburg over four weekends.
The annual The Spring Games match-ups are scheduled through Sunday and March 5-7. Participants this weekend include the University of Pittsburgh, New Mexico State, Liberty University and Middle Tennessee University.
Teams for the March 5-7 games still are being determined. These out-of-conference games will count toward the teams’ regular season records.
This year’s lineup also includes teams from the Big 10 in conference play. Due to COVID-19, the Big 10 sought a neutral location where conference games could be held in a bubble-type atmosphere. Through a partnership with The Spring Games and Lake County, Leesburg was selected to host this event. The Big 10 schools will play 84 games over a span of six days on the weekends of Feb. 26-28 and March 12-14.
To meet the requirements of the Big 10, some modifications were needed to the fields at Sleepy Hollow, including temporary outfield fencing and expansion of batting cages, bullpens and dugouts. These upgrades not only helped make this year’s games possible, but they are an investment in the future. Several Big 10 teams, along with other Division I softball entities, have agreed to bring games back to Leesburg for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Grant dollars from the Lake County Tourist Development Council helped fund the improvements.
COVID-19 protocols will limit the number of spectators allowed at games. Availability of general admission tickets will vary each weekend. For tickets or additional information, visit www.thespringgames.com.
