Big Ten Baseball Tournament to remain in Columbus through 2012The Big Ten Conference and Greater Columbus Sports Commission has announced that Columbus will continue to host the Big Ten Baseball Tournament for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons. The Big Ten played its first neutral-site tournament since 1994 at Huntington Park in 2009 and will return to the ballpark in 2011 and 2012. Ohio State's Bill Davis Stadium will host in 2010 due to a conflict at Huntington Park. "The Big Ten Conference is excited to return to the city of Columbus for its upcoming baseball tournaments," Big Ten Conference Commissioner James E. Delany said. "Last year's event provided a fantastic experience for our coaches, student-athletes and fans, and we look forward to growing the event in the years to come." "We are thrilled that Columbus, Bill Davis Stadium and Huntington Park will host the Big Ten Baseball Tournament through 2012," GCSC Executive Director Linda Logan said. "Our community thanks the Big Ten Conference, its schools and coaches for making this commitment to Columbus. We will work to build an atmosphere for this tournament similar to the College World Series." The 2009 Big Ten Baseball Tournament drew more than 12,000 fans, marking the tournament's highest total attendance in the past decade. Indiana took home the program's second tournament title, earning the Big Ten's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. "We were proud to host the Big Ten Baseball Tournament in 2009 and look forward to its return to Huntington Park in 2011 and 2012," said Columbus Clippers General Manager Ken Schnacke, who also manages Huntington Park. "And we look forward to partnering with the Big Ten and the Columbus Sports Commission to grow the tournament each year.' |