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The Bainbridge Decatur County Recreation Authority is heavily involved in all-star tournaments, particularly within District 3, which includes Southwest Georgia teams.

“We’re fortunate to be hosting five out of the six age groups for baseball and softball here in Bainbridge,” Joel Holmes, Executive Director of the Bainbridge-Decatur County Recreation Authority, said. The tournaments, set to begin on June 7, will bring teams from surrounding areas, including Thomasville and Americus, to compete.

Each team pays an entry fee, and spectators contribute through ticket sales, helping to support the program. “We encourage anybody around that wants to watch quality youth baseball and softball to come out and support our Decatur County teams as they compete at the district level,” Holmes said. 

The Bainbridge Decatur County Spartan travel baseball program will hold tryouts beginning June 17th at Bill Reynolds Sports Park, Complex No. 3, Field No. 5. Participation is open to athletes in the 8U, 9U, and 10U age groups.

Tryouts will follow this schedule: 8u: 5:30 p.m., 9u: 6:30 p.m., and 10u: 7:30 p.m.

The Spartan travel team is free to join, and full uniforms are provided at no cost. Those interested in scheduling private tryouts should contact Skylar Smith at (229) 220-776 or Todd Howard at (229) 220-5711.

Now in his second year leading the Spartans baseball program, Holmes is optimistic about the foundation he’s building and the program’s growth.

The Spartans baseball program was established to provide young athletes with an opportunity to experience travel baseball while continuing to participate in recreational league play. Holmes noticed that as players reached the 7-8 age group, many would leave local leagues to join travel teams elsewhere. Spartan’s baseball was created to bridge that gap.

“What we wanted to provide was the opportunity for kids that wanted to experience travel ball, but also still wanted to continue to be a rec ball player, and we thought, well, there’s room for both,” Holmes explained. The program allows players to compete in travel baseball while remaining in the local league, ensuring they still qualify for all-star play at the end of the season.”

Designed to provide competitive baseball opportunities, the Bainbridge Decatur County Spartans travel baseball program—known as the SOWEGA Spartans—was founded by the Bainbridge Decatur County Recreation Authority to make the sport more accessible to young athletes. The program supports multiple age divisions (8U, 9U, 10U, and 14U) and engages around 45-50 players. 

Travel baseball often requires teams to compete in tournaments across various locations, but the Bainbridge-Decatur County Recreation Authority has the facilities to host tournaments locally.

“With us having 16 baseball and softball fields here, we have the capability to host tournaments,” Holmes said. By hosting tournaments at home, Spartans players can compete in high-level events without excessive travel. Additionally, local tournaments generate revenue to support the program, allowing it to remain free for participants.

“We don’t charge a fee for any kid that makes it on one of our Spartans baseball teams,” Holmes emphasized. “We don’t charge for uniforms, tryouts, or making the team. And with the revenue from hosting tournaments, we anticipate keeping the program completely free while being able to provide more equipment and scholarships.”