A ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Friday to mark the completion of of Hot Springs’ Majestic Park baseball complex has been canceled due to inclement weather.
“We will hold the ceremony later,” Visit Hot Springs CEO Steve Arrison said Wednesday morning. “The Weather Service is predicting a severe ice storm for Central Arkansas on Thursday, and temperatures are expected to remain below freezing Friday. We don’t want to put anyone in danger on iced-over streets and roads.”
Construction on Majestic Park began in early 2020. The five-field Majestic Park complex at Carson and Belding streets stands on the site where Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, Cy Young, Honus Wagner and other baseball immortals took part in spring training games in the early to mid-20th Century. That spring training was part of Hot Springs’ role as The Birthplace of Major League Baseball Spring Training.
On Tuesday, Majestic Park General Manager Derek Phillips announced the delay of the start of the Dugan Invitational collegiate baseball tournament. The winter storm expected to sweep across the region forced a one-day delay in the start of the Majestic Park’s inaugural tournament.
“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 are set to 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 tournament was originally to begin Thursday Feb. 3, but was rescheduled for Friday Feb. 4 through Monday.
“Majestic Park is having to delay the Dugan Invitational due to travel conditions for our four teams coming from Missouri and Oklahoma,” Phillips said.
The teams scheduled to compete are: Southern Arkansas, Henderson State, Harding, Ouachita Baptist, Northeastern State, Rogers State, Northwest Missouri, Missouri Western and Delta State.
No further updates regarding the Dugan tournament scheduling have been announced.
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