Buddy Ball returns to the Coast

Play ball! Mississippi Gulf Coast Buddy Sports is back on the diamond for the annual Buddy Ball season!

The season began with the annual opening ceremony where every team got together on one field at the Gulfport Sportsplex with each player’s name announced to the crowd.

One of the players threw out the first pitch and then the teams went to their respective fields to play their first game.

This year, the league set a record number of players with about 140. About 100 volunteers signed up to help this season as well. Mississippi Gulf Coast Buddy Sports Founder and Director Mike Crawford said, “It’s just amazing really. You know when you start out with 20 players and a handful of volunteers and now, you’re at 140 players and over 100 volunteers; and there’s more out there that just for one reason or another aren’t playing and you know we’ll have them playing with us one of these days.”

If you would like to volunteer for Buddy Ball this year, it is not too late. Just visit msgulfcoastbuddysports.org to register.