Wren Days Wiffleball Tourney to celebrate 25th year

DHI Media Staff Writer

djoseph@timesbulletin.com

WREN – The village of Wren is gearing up for Wren Days and so are the wiffleball tournament participants. Official sign-up for the 25th annual Wren Days Wiffleball Tournament is Monday at 5 p.m., but teams have been lined up since Friday.

Teams began to line up outside of the Wren Tavern on Friday at 5 p.m. and things have filled up fast. The first to get in line was 2014 Crestview graduate and Longballers team captain Dylan Henry, who was first in line for the third straight year.

“Someone has to start it,” Henry said. “No one else will so I did.”

Wiffleball is very similar to baseball, but is played on a smaller field with a perforated ball and no gloves.

Wren is known to the world as the Wiffleball Capital of the World and the village takes pride in that. In the center of town is Wrenway Park Wiffleball Warehouse, but it is not set up until days before the Wren Days celebration and is taken down days after. This park is set up to look like a professional park and it looks like it from all aspects.

“I think that it’s so cool,” member of Putman Stables Austin Adams said. “They have been doing this for so many years and I get the chance to do it. It’s like MLB (Major League Baseball) for wiffleball.”

Everyone has a different opinion on the wiffleball tournament, but a couple of things are the same for everyone involved.

“Waiting in line and the atmosphere of it,” member of Northwest Ohio Welch Trophy Nate Owens said of the highlights of the wiffleball tournament.

The game is wildly known as a children’s game which makes it even more exciting and fun to some.

“It’s a kids game that grown-ups can play and have a good time doing it,” member of Shotzy’s Adam Ashbaugh said. “We come over here to have fun.”

Wren’s wiffleball tournament includes 16 teams. Fifteen teams have to beat each other out via camping out in line while the 16th team doesn’t have to sign up. That team is the winner from the previous year. Thirteen teams were in line by 9 p.m. on Friday and there are still two open spots. The previous winner? MKS Siding which has won the tournament four years in a row.

Wren Days kicks off on Friday, August 19 and will conclude on Sunday, August 21. The wiffleball tournament will wrap up on Saturday, August 20.