Rector to host state tourney

Rector will be the site for the 2008 state Class AA high school softball tournament, as announced earlier this week by the Arkansas Activities Association. This marks the first time a state tournament has been held in Rector.

The event will take place at the Jeremy McDaniel Memorial Sports Complex at the city's Memorial Park. It will feature the top 2A school teams from across the state and provide area residents with the opportunity to see the division's finest softball players in action.

"It'll give the people in town the chance to see some good fast-pitch softball," Rector superintendent Rob Louder said. "We've got a real nice park here in town and this will give us an opportunity to show it off to people from other parts of the state."

The tournament will also provide area businesses with an opportunity to increase their activity for a weekend, as the influx of visitors during a state tournament is typically a large number, especially in relation to a town the size of Rector.

"I would expect to see some of our local businesses see their number of customers increase during that time," Louder said.

Typically, the businesses most affected by large crowds include those who provide food and fuel.

The tournament can be viewed as a benefit to the tremendous amount of effort which has gone into Memorial Park over the past several years.

"We have one of the nicest parks around," Louder said. "The city has done an outstanding job of making it into one of the nicest parks you'll find in a town of this size."

By hosting the tournament, Rector has the opportunity to play at home, should the Lady Cougars advance, which they have done several times recently.

"That's the advantage of hosting a state tournament," Louder said. "If your local team is playing, it's a home game for them. It rewards the team and the town."

Currently, the state tournament is scheduled to be played Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10. The first and second rounds will require the use of two fields, while the semifinal and final rounds will be played on a single field.