River City Baseball is a 17 year old not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing quality summer baseball opportunities for high school age players in Evansville and the surrounding area. River City Baseball originated as Evansville PALOMINO Inc., the parent organization for the Evansville Black Sox, in November, 1992. Burdette Park Youth Baseball was formed in 1994 as a not-for profit association with Evansville PALOMINO, Inc. to build and operate a high school age baseball complex at Burdette Park. Burdette Park Youth Baseball changed its name to River City Baseball in 1996. Evansville PALOMINO, Inc. was dissolved in 1997 and all assets were transferred to River City Baseball. River City Baseball is now the parent organization for Black Sox Baseball, the River City Razorbacks, the High School Cub Baseball League, the River City Baseball High School Summer League, the Shoeless Joe Baseball Classic Tournament, the R.B.I. Shoot-Out Tournament, and the Razorback Showcase. River City Baseball hosted the 2007 N.A.B.F. Midwest Senior(18U) Division Tournament. River City Baseball was the host organization for the National Amateur Baseball Federation 2000 Midwest Senior(18U) Division Tournament, and the 1997, 1998 and 1999 N.A.B.F. Senior Division World Series played at Bosse Field and local high school parks in Evansville, Boonville and Mt. Vernon, IN.  Our tournaments and leagues provide quality competition for local teams and players.
    River City Baseball partnered with Tri-State PONY Baseball/Softball to host the 1998 PONY Girls Softball Fastpitch National Championships. 46 teams competed in 5 age divisions. The Evansville team won the 18U National Championship played at U.S.I. The Boonville team won the 16U National Championship played at the U. of E. complex.
    River City Baseball consists of unpaid volunteers who donate their time and resources to providing quality baseball opportunities to area teens. River City Baseball offers financial support to our local and area high school and college baseball programs thru user fees, program advertising, and donations. In 2008 we invested $4865.00 in these programs. We also donated $1800.00 to a local teen church group for help in staffing our tournament and league worker groups. Our tournaments also provide a big boost to the local economy. Since 2001, the Evansville Executive Inn alone documented 4865 room nights@$70.00 per room for out-of town tournament teams and fans.
 

BURDETTE PARK BASEBALL COMPLEX

    Burdette Park Baseball Complex was begun in 1995. Burdette Park Youth Baseball/River City Baseball leases the 2 ball fields at Burdette Park from the Vanderburgh County Commissioners. With the help of the Burdette Park Advisory Board, local businesses, and fundraisers; $40,000.00 was raised and invested in converting the 2 softball fields to high school sized baseball fields. In the 12 years since, over $100,000.00 has been invested in field improvements and maintenance. Improving this complex is an ongoing project. Each year we try to budget at least $5000.00 for field improvements and normal maintenance. We receive no direct cash funding from the county government or Burdette Park. All field improvements, utilities and maintenance have been paid for by players and families, tournament fundraisers and corporate sponsors/donations. Burdette Park Baseball Complex has no paid directors, officers, or coaches. The only compensated personnel are teens who work on field maintenance and concessions. Over 200 games were played at Burdette Park in 2007.
 

BLACK SOX BASEBALL

    Black Sox Baseball is a group of former Evansville Black Sox coaches, players and friends who donate their time and efforts to run the BLACK SOX BASEBALL tournaments that help support River City Baseball. The Evansville Black Sox was a select traveling baseball team composed of 15 - 18 year olds from the Tri-state area. This team competed from 1993 thru 2000.  The goal of this program was to provide maximum exposure for potential College Division I players from this area. We scheduled the best regional select teams and traveled to highly scouted tournaments with top notch competition. It was our goal to place each of these players in the best possible college program that would continue their education and provide them an opportunity to develop their baseball skills to the full potential. We are very proud that we placed every eligible player in a quality college program in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Two of our former players, Ryan Hutchinson(Vincennes Lincoln) in 1997 and Josh McKinney(Boonville) in 1999, received national N.A.B.F. Ronald and Irene McMinn Scholarships thru the River City Baseball N.A.B.F. franchise. Former player, Clint Barmes, current professional player,  was a celebrity guest at the 2006 HOT STOVE BASEBALL LEAGUE "Night of Memories".

RAZORBACK BASEBALL

The Razorback team consists of select 18U Midwest high school players. This team plays in the Black Sox Baseball Select Tournaments and schedules additional games and tournaments against regional select teams. In 2007 this team finished 38 - 8. They were 2007 Shoeless Joe Classic Division Champions, 2007 Razorback Showcase Champions, 2007 Terre Haute PASTTIME Baseball Champions, 2007 NABF Midwest Regional Champions and were National runners up at the NABF Senior Division World Series in Jackson, Miss.  The Razorbacks are coached by former Black Sox players who volunteer their time and talents to help local players reach their full potential. This program allows players to face Division I quality teams/players, and access college scouts/coaches.

HIGH SCHOOL "CUB" BASEBALL LEAGUE

The 2007 High School Baseball Feeder League included 16 teams. Each team consists of 7th & 8th graders from a single high school district. School districts represented are Boonville, Bosse, Castle, Central, Harrison, Henderson, Heritage Hills, Jasper, Mater Dei, Memorial, Mt Vernon, North, Princeton, Reitz, South Spencer, and Tecumseh. Games are played weekends at the Burdette Park Baseball Complex and local high school fields. The 2008 season starts March 29 and ends May 30 with the Championship game. Each team is under the control or guidance of it's high school coach and/or booster club. This league debuted in 2000 with 7 teams. The rapid growth of this league demonstrates the need for a quality, high school oriented, teaching league that prepares the high school players of tomorrow with a better knowledge of the high school game and the discipline required to become a student athlete. This program is NOT a replacement or alternative to longstanding PONY, SENIOR LITTLE LEAGUE and BABE RUTH leagues. It is an opportunity for future high school players to play together under high school rules and conditions. All players are encouraged to continue playing in their existing summer leagues whenever possible.
 
 

RIVER CITY BASEBALL SUMMER LEAGUE

The River City Baseball League is a summer baseball program for high school age teens in the Evansville Tri-state area. This league includes independent teams and teams composed of returning players from individual high schools. The league had 8 teams in 2007. This program provides a low cost program to that allows high school coaches to work with returning players and also provides a place for the skilled high school aged recreational baseball player to compete in an organized summer program. Games are played at Burdette Park and various high school fields in the Evansville/Tri-State area.
 
 

SHOELESS JOE BASEBALL CLASSIC

The Shoeless Joe Baseball Classic is a 12 year old select baseball tournament for 18U and 16U teams. The 2007 tournament hosted 18 select teams from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio on the last weekend of June for a top notch, highly scouted competition. This tournament is known as one of the best tournaments of its kind in the Midwest. Each team plays 5 games over a 3 day period. This tournament provides the best high school age competition available. This tournament, along with the R.B.I. SHOOTOUT/RAZORBACK SHOWCASE provide most of the financial support for River City Baseball programs.
 
 

R.B.I. SHOOTOUT

The RIVER CITY BASEBALL R.B.I. SHOOTOUT is a 8 year old select baseball tournament. In 2000, River City Baseball partnered with U.S.I. Baseball and expanded this tournament to include 18U and 16U teams. This tournament has included local and regional select teams over the years. The competition level has increased each year to further challenge the local teams involved and increase exposure for U.S.I. Baseball. In 2007 we had teams from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio entered. Proceeds from this tournament help fund the Burdette Park Baseball Complex.

RAZORBACK SHOWCASE

This tournament is a 12 team invitational-only tournament that showcases some of the best 18u teams in the Midwest. The 2007 Showcase included teams from Ohio, Kansas, Canada, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.  This tournament showcases the University of Southern Indiana and University of Evansville baseball complexs and programs.
 

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
     http://www.evansvilleblacksox.com
 

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