FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2004


Baseball finals return to Sarasota

GAINESVILLE – The FHSAA Baseball Finals state championship tournament this May will return to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, the Florida High School Athletic Association announced today. The City of Sarasota has been awarded the tournament for the 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons pending successful contract negotiations.

“The FHSAA is pleased to have the opportunity to renew its relationship with the City of Sarasota and Ed Smith Stadium,” Associate Commissioner John A. Stewart said, in announcing the location of the baseball finals. “The Sarasota group did an outstanding job in the four years in which it served as host organization for this event during the 1990s.”

The City of Sarasota served as host of the FHSAA Baseball Finals from 1993 through 1996. The tournament recently completed a successful eight-year run at Legends Field in Tampa where the School District of Hillsborough County and the New York Yankees organization served as co-hosts.

“We’re thrilled to have the tournament ‘back home’ in Sarasota,” said Pat Calhoon, sports facilities manager for the City of Sarasota’s Ed Smith Stadium. “We look forward to working with the FHSAA to raise the bar once again as we did back in the ‘90s to make this tournament even more prestigious.”

The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 700 middle and senior high schools.

Contact:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org