Following the success of the last two Western WIFFLE Ball Classics, its founder, 16-year-old Logan Rose is excited to bring back the popular event for a third year.

Logan, a Paradise Valley resident, began his journey in the sport by creating Big League WIFFLE Ball in July of 2019. In less than three years, Logan had grown such a dedicated following that in 2020 he decided to host a tournament for all ages at the Fenway Park of spring training, Scottsdale Stadium.

“I was inspired to start the Western WIFFLE Ball Classic after creating a four-team wiffle ball league in my backyard during the summer when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit. Playing Wiffle ball on those hot summer days brought a lot of joy to those players, including myself, so much joy that we were all disappointed when the season came to an end. The success of the season called for something bigger and better, the Western WIFFLE Ball Classic at Scottsdale Stadium,” says Logan, who had help in starting the tournament from someone near and dear.

“My dad was a major help in starting this tournament through his experience in starting various events. It was very helpful to learn from him and hear his input on the event,” says Logan.

For those who don’t know what the sport is, Logan explains: “Wiffle ball is essentially mini baseball with a plastic ball that can curve, drop, rise, etc., way more than a regular baseball. For the most part, rules and the overall format are very similar to baseball. However, some key differences include the field size and dimensions scaled down, a smaller and skinnier plastic bat, using a plastic Wiffle ball, and pegging runners with the ball.”

The 2022 tournament begins at 9 a.m. on Sat., Oct. 29 and will allow for up to 42 teams to enjoy a competitive championship tournament. All fields will be set up on Scottsdale Stadium’s main field, home to the San Francisco Giants spring training.

Teams will be comprised of three to five players, each team guaranteed to play three games each. Games will last 35 minutes or four innings, whichever comes first. Then, 16 teams will advance to a single-elimination tournament. All ages are welcome and encouraged to participate in the tournament. The winner and runner-up will be awarded the Western WIFFLE Ball Classic trophy.

Among the skills Logan developed by starting the Western WIFFLE Ball Classic is time management. “I’ve learned the importance of how you use and balance your time,” the young entrepreneur says.

He explains that while putting together the tournament has been challenging, it’s felt anything but. “I’ve found myself working on Wiffle ball-related stuff for hours and hours without ever realizing it because it’s fun for me. If you’re doing something that you enjoy, you can achieve so much more than you can imagine.”

“These past two years have been amazing. It has been so great to see so many people get involved in the tournament,” says Logan, who’s always loved sports and pictures himself involved in that arena when he grows up.

“My goals for the Western WIFFLE Ball Classic include growing it to be the biggest Wiffle ball tournament in the world,” he says. “I think having over 50 teams participating one day would be awesome. Among my goals for Big League Wiffle Ball are to get a bigtime feature by a sports network such as ESPN and to grow to over 100,000 total followers across social media.”

To learn more, visit blwwiffleball.com.