The City of Salina has been selected to host the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) baseball and softball championships in 2026, officials announced at the recent Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting.
Recreation Superintendent Travis Scheele reported that the championships were secured through a collaborative effort between Visit Salina, Kansas Wesleyan University, and Salina Parks and Recreation.
"We were officially awarded the KCAC baseball and softball championships next year for 2026," Scheele told board members.
The city's ability to offer dual facilities for both sports was cited as a key factor in securing the event. Salina's recently improved baseball and softball facilities, particularly the fully turfed, side-by-side fields at Salina South, provided a competitive advantage in the bid process.
"We did tour the Salina South facility, obviously fully turfed, two side by side. Very impressive, very enticing to them to host both baseball and softball in the same town," said Jeff Hammond, Parks and Recreation Director.
According to officials, the championships were previously held in Great Bend before moving to Branson, Missouri, where organizers encountered challenges with weather and logistics.
The tournament is expected to bring at least eight teams to Salina, with the possibility of 10 to 12 depending on conference arrangements. It will be structured as a double-elimination tournament lasting three to four days, weather permitting.
While the current agreement is for one year, city officials indicated they hope to secure a multi-year contract if the 2026 event proves successful.
"Our goal is to keep that thing from year to year," Scheele said.
The KCAC includes schools ranging from York, Nebraska to Oklahoma Wesleyan University, as well as Kansas institutions such as Kansas Wesleyan, Bethany, Friends, Sterling, Tabor, and Ottawa.
