SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — Several student-athletes have had their season cut short this year, but now the Tennessee Smokies announced they will host a baseball league for high school students.
Starting June 1, current and rising high school juniors and season will be able to play in the East Tennessee High School Baseball League. The league will be broken into an Eastern and Western division, with a maximum of 12 teams in each.
It will run for around eight weeks, with a world series between the top teams in each division. The Tennessee Smokies said they will implement social distancing guidelines during games.
Teams will need to pay $1,000 to register. The fee covers jerseys, hats, league awards and other expenses, according to a release from the Tennessee Smokies.
For several weeks, stadiums across Tennessee have stayed empty, due to the coronavirus. State officials implemented stay-at-home orders restricting large gatherings at entertainment venues.
Health officials issued social-distancing guidelines, recommending people keep six feet apart from others. They also recommended people wear masks when going out into public, to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Now, as businesses begin reopening and Tennessee officials work to restart the state's economy, three stadiums will welcome new players.
Smokies Stadium in Kodak, TVA Credit Union Ballpark in Johnson City, and Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark in Elizabethton will host all regular-season games.
“At this time, we are excited to bring baseball back inside Smokies Stadium,” said Boyd Sports President and COO Chris Allen in a press release. “We are an entertainment venue and since we are unable to host professional baseball games, we want to make this league feel as if our community can still enjoy a fun-filled summer at the ballpark.”
Teams who want to participate in the league can register online at the Tennessee Smokies website.