With their gloves oiled, cleats laced up and ready for action, young baseball stars descended on Santee’s Sportsplex baseball fields to bring home the championship trophy.
Xtreme Diamond Sports kicked off the fifth annual XDS World Series with the National Baseball and Softball Expo held July 21-22 at Sportsplex USA in Santee.
With their gloves oiled, cleats laced up and ready for action, young baseball stars descended on Santee’s Sportsplex baseball fields to bring home the championship trophy.
Xtreme Diamond Sports kicked off the fifth annual XDS World Series with the National Baseball and Softball Expo held July 21-22 at Sportsplex USA in Santee.
More than 60 vendors from some of the powerhouses in athletic performance equipment were on hand to feature some of the newest and state-of-the-art baseball training equipment to the hundreds of baseball and softball fans in attendance.
Former MLB players and celebrities came out to sign autographs and interact with fans. San Diego Baseball legend and barbecue enthusiast Randy Jones, former pitcher Jesse Orosco, former second basemen Bret Boone and Yankee’s pitcher Sergio Mitre signed everything from shirts and jerseys to bats and mitts. Kansas City Negro League player Bobo Henderson, Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner City’s director David James, and Vice Mayor of Santee John Minto threw out the honorary and ceremonial first pitches. Director of Marketing for NBSE Joshua Botterman said these all-stars coming out to interact with people makes the game of baseball all the more entertaining.
“When you can meet professional baseball greats like Randy Jones,” he said. “It’s event like these that you sit down and talk to them it’s not a rushed experience or you’re paying $25 for an autograph. It’s a great way to communicate about America’s favorite past time. You can learn about their histories and how they got involved with the sports, and hear some amazing stories about their careers. I think that personal touch really brings the fans to the game.”
The expo ran in conjunction with the opening ceremony for the fifth annual XDS World Series. More than 160 league teams from all over North America and the South Pacific paraded through the Sportsplex fields, banners held high with pride, ready to compete for the XDS World Series title. The event brought the realisms of the pros with a live singing of the National Anthem, US Air Force flyover and a skills competition and homerun derby. The World Series will take place throughout the week with the champions being crowned on Sunday.
To get more information about teams that are participating, game schedules and locations or how to get involved visit www.xtremediamondsports.com.
