MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama High School Athletic Association Central Board of Control approved moving the upcoming 2021 AHSAA State Softball Championships to Oxford’s Choccolocco Park, which is scheduled to be played May 18-22. The 2022 state tournament will also be held at in Oxford.The move was approved at Wednesday’s virtual Central Board meeting held at the AHSAA.
Montgomery’s Lagoon Park, which has hosted the AHSAA State Softball Championships since its inception in 1986, will host the East Central Regional Softball tournament qualifier originally set for Oxford’s Choccolocco Park this spring.
The East Central Regional is one of four qualifying tournaments scheduled to be held May 12-15. Other sites include Florence, Tuscaloosa and Gulf Shores.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to play our state softball championships at a complex that is designed solely for fast-pitch softball, has experience hosting state and national events and has a signature field and stadium just for championship games,” said Kim Vickers, AHSAA Assistant Director in charge of softball. “We are also extremely grateful to the City of Montgomery and its Parks and Recreation Department for its partnership with the AHSAA. Lagoon Park has been an excellent host since 1986. The regional softball tournament at Lagoon will provide a more centralized location for the teams in that compete in that regional.”
Montgomery hosts the AHSAA State Baseball Championships at its outstanding professional baseball parks Paterson Field and Riverwalk Stadium and annually is a site for part of the AHSAA state tennis championships.
The Kickoff Classic and Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Classic is held at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl, regional basketball is held at Garrett Coliseum and the North-South All-Star competitions are held each summer at various locations in Montgomery. The Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Basketball Classic is held every other year in Montgomery with this year’s boys’ and girls’ all-star games set for the Cramton Bowl MultiPlex on March 12.
AHSAA state championships are held throughout the year at various locations in Alabama with spring championship sites for tennis set for Mobile Tennis Center and Montgomery’s Lagoon Park in 2021; the state golf championships will be the Mobile’s Magnolia Grove RTJ Course; and the AHSAA State Soccer Championships will be played at Huntsville’s Metro Soccer Complex.
AHSAA State Outdoor Track and Field championships will be at Gulf Shores Sports Complex (4A, 5A, 6A, 7A) and Cullman High School (Classes 1A, 2A, 3A).
Oxford’s Chocolocco Park is scheduled to host the National Junior College Fast-Pitch National Championships May 25-29 and the Southern Athletic Association Collegiate Conference championships April 21-25.
The Central Board also reviewed proposals submitted by schools for 202l and received and also received an update dealing with the current Alabama Legislative session.