Softball event brings 300+ teams to Kansas City this weekend. How to watch
More than 300 softball teams from 31 states will be spread across the Kansas City area this weekend for the largest invitational tournament in the United States.
The Top Gun Invitational was started by Robb Behymer and Jeremy McDowell in 2013 to honor Behymer’s father, Bill Behymer, who was a youth sports coach for over 40 years, McDowell said. The first event showcased 75 travel softball teams from 24 states and has grown into one of the top recruiting tournaments in the country.
From Thursday, June 12, to Sunday, June 15, the teams in attendance will be split up into six divisions and compete at nine different ballparks, seven of which are in the metro area. Top Gun Events will also award four graduating seniors with scholarships during the tournament, selecting the recipients on outstanding character, academic accomplishments and community involvement, according to a press release.
“Our company, and this tournament, were built on the premise that amateur sports can impact the lives of our youth today,” Robb Behymer said in a statement. “I made a commitment when we started that I would keep the mission simple: be true to the athlete and use our platform to make a positive difference in their journey.
The athletes, separated in groups based on their ages, will play in front of family, friends and recruiting college coaches. Kansas City being in the center of the country makes it an ideal location for so many teams and coaches to travel to, McDowell said.
Hosting the tournament in Kansas City also benefits kids in the Midwest who have the talent to play softball at the collegiate level, but wouldn’t have been scouted by coaches on the coasts unless their families had the means to pay for travel.
“A lot of our kids that did play the game at a high level always had to get in a plane every single weekend just to try to go get recruited, and there’s only so many economically that can afford that,” McDowell said. “We had some really good ball players that weren’t being recognized, and (Bill Beyhmer) had a vision to create an event that would allow for the best of the best to meet in the middle of the country.”
They get travel ball teams from Hawaii, New York, Florida and California, in addition to teams based out of Kansas and Missouri, but they don’t accept every team. Each team applies, and then a committee reviews the application and selects the best teams.
This year’s tournament will feature a total of 332 teams from travel softball teams competing in 12u, 14u, 16u and 18u divisions. The fields in Kansas City will see more than 4,200 athletes representing their teams and states as they try to win their respective tournaments.
Where to watch the softball tournaments in Kansas City
The teams are split into groups of six within their divisions, and they’ll start tournament play with by playing against each team in their group Thursday through Saturday morning. They are then seeded and placed into a single-elimination tournament, where they will crown a champion with play running from Saturday evening to Sunday afternoon.
These games are free to watch, and you can find them at these fields across Kansas City:
Central Bank Sporting Complex, 9101 N. Line Creek Parkway Unit Fieldhouse 1, Kansas City
Blue Valley Recreation Sports Complex, 9701 W. 137th St., Overland Park
Mid-America West Sports Complex, 20200 Johnson Drive, Shawnee
Games will also be played at Baldwin City Sports Complex, 100 Bullpup Drive in Baldwin City, and at Baker University, 725 First St. in Baldwin City.
The schedule for games can be found on the group website by selecting the division you want to view. Fans can also purchase an all-access pass to watch all games online for $35.
