Weather Forces One-day Delay in Start of Dugan Invitational

A winter storm expected to sweep across the region has forced a one-day delay in the start of the Dugan Invitational collegiate baseball tournament that will inaugurate play at the newly completed Majestic Park baseball complex in Hot Springs.

The tournament was to have begun Thursday, but now will commence Friday and run through Monday, Majestic Park General Manager Derek Phillips announced Tuesday morning.

"Majestic Park is having to delay the Dugan Invitational due to travel conditions for our four teams coming from Missouri and Oklahoma," Phillips said.

Nine college baseball teams from Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi and Oklahoma will compete in the tournament, which is named in honor of Mike Dugan, the late Hot Springs baseball historian who spearheaded the creation of Majestic Park.

The teams are: Southern Arkansas, Henderson State, Harding, Ouachita Baptist, Northeastern State, Rogers State, Northwest Missouri, Missouri Western and Delta State.

The revised Dugan Invitational schedule:

Friday — Northeastern State vs. Southern Arkansas at 1 p.m. Henderson State vs. Delta State at 4 p.m.

Saturday — Rogers State vs. Southern Arkansas at 11 a.m. Delta State vs. Harding at 2 p.m. Missouri Western vs. Henderson State at 5 p.m. Two games will be played at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia: Northeastern State vs. Ouachita at 11 a.m. Northwest Missouri at vs. Ouachita at 2 p.m.

Sunday — Harding vs. Northeastern State at 11 a.m. Southern Arkansas vs. Missouri Western at 2 p.m. Delta State vs. Rogers State at 5 p.m. One game will be played at Henderson State in Arkadelphia: Henderson vs. Northwest Missouri at 2 p.m.

Monday — Northwest Missouri vs. Southern Arkansas at 1 p.m. Rogers State vs. Ouachita at 4 p.m.

Majestic Park is a five-field complex located on the site of the former Hot Springs Boys and Girls Club and was the site of one of the first spring training sites in Major League Baseball history. The Detroit Tigers first used it for spring training in 1908 and Ruth attended his first training camp as a member of the Boston Red Sox on this site in 1915.

Henry (Hank) Aaron, Jackie Robinson and many other Hall of Famers played and trained at the Majestic Park site. Nowhere else in the country can a young person playing baseball say he or she played on the exact site where the legends of the sport played.

All five of the Majestic Park baseball fields have artificial turf infields and outfields with MUSCO Lighting. The Championship Field will also accommodate college, high school and professional play.

For more information contact Derek Phillips at 501-359-1414.