CLEVELAND — Ripken Baseball announced on Tuesday it’s acquiring Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center.
Ripken Baseball will take over operations beginning with the 2023 season which already has 50 tournaments scheduled.
The acquisition marks the sixth youth sports complex owned by Ripken Baseball. It also confirms the expansion of Ripken Baseball into sports other than baseball and softball.
Sports Force Parks has the ability to host baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse and youth football tournaments.
“When my late friend, co-founder, and the vision behind Sports Force Parks, Brian Storm, first dreamed of entering the youth sports business, he endeavored to build parks where sports, family, and fun could bring people together,” said Mark Stalnaker, President of Sports Fields, Inc. “The model was built on the strong foundation that Ripken had already established for baseball but also added a variety of other sports such as soccer, softball, and lacrosse. Brian would be thrilled to see the growth opportunities that the industry leader Ripken Baseball can offer to Sports Force Parks employees as they are the backbone of the brand and have made the companies so successful.”
The facility has the capacity for 11 baseball/softball diamonds, eight full-size soccer fields or 21 youth-size soccer fields. It also has the capacity for one ADA-accessible field for adaptive sports.
“Adding Sports Force Parks to the Ripken Baseball family is significant on many levels,” said Michael Kenney, CEO of Ripken Baseball. “We now have an opportunity to bring a Big League experience to not only baseball and softball, but also soccer, lacrosse, and even football. The proximity of the complex is ideal for families looking for a complete entertainment experience with a world-class amusement park down the road at Cedar Point.”
With the acquisition of Sports Force Parks, Ripken Baseball assumes control of 17 Tournaments, a youth baseball tournament operator, and Oakwood Lodging Group, a travel planner.
In January, Ripken Baseball announced Josh Harris and David Blitzer completed an investment in Ripken Baseball. Blitzer is a part-owner of the Cleveland Guardians.
“We welcome Ripken Baseball to the Northeast Ohio region,” said Cleveland Guardians VP of Communications and Community Impact Curtis Danburg. “We look forward to partnering with the Ripken Baseball family to create unique Major League level experiences for their athletes visiting their complex in Sandusky and Progressive Field.”
