Cusic Classic: Let the games begin
More than 110 teams from 20 states converge on Lee County over the next three weeks for the playing of the 25th annual Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic, a series of softball and baseball tournaments for NCAA Division III and NAIA schools.
Spectators can watch for free at five locations in Fort Myers and Cape Coral starting Saturday and running through March 21, all coordinated by Lee County Parks & Recreation.
“The weather is good, the level of play is outstanding and many tourists, snowbirds and residents can find their alma mater from up north on our schedule of play,” said event coordinator Ludie Adorno.
Collegiate baseball will be played in Fort Myers at Terry Park, 3410 Palm Beach Blvd., and the Lee County Player Development Complex, 4301 Edison Ave.
Softball takes three locations, two in Cape Coral at the Northwest Complex, 1030 NW 16th Place and Cape Coral Sports Complex at the west end of Trafalgar Parkway; and in Fort Myers at the CenturyLink Sports Complex, 14100 Ben C. Pratt/Six Mile Cypress Parkway.
An estimated 500 games are scheduled. Teams primarily are from the Midwest and Northeast. Notables include those from Olivet College, Johns Hopkins University, Kenyon College and the College of Wooster.
The tournament is named for Gene Cusic of Aurora, Ill., who was a teacher, coach, principal, superintendent and administrator in Illinois schools. He also taught a year in Lima, Peru, and served as Principal of the Oxford Summer School for the American Institute for Foreign Study. He retired to Fort Myers in 1988 and joined the Lee County Parks & Recreation staff as the athletic program manager. He established the Collegiate Classic in 1990 with just 11 teams.
For a complete schedule and other information, visit www.leeparks.org/cusic