COLUMBUS, Ohio - The schedule for the 2010 Ohio Collegiate Charity Classic has been finalized, Ohio State softball head coach Linda Kalafatis announced Friday. In its 10th season, the breast cancer awareness fundraiser hosted by the Buckeyes at Fred Beekman Park will open with nine games Oct. 2 and conclude with 13 games Oct. 3.
A total of 15 teams, with Tiffin fielding two squads, will compete in the event, which benefits the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.
Spielman passed away Nov. 19, 2009, after a 12-year battle with the disease and is survived by her husband and former Buckeye standout linebacker, Chris Spielman and their four children, Madison, Noah, Macy and Audrey. Chris Spielman will speak with the teams and the crowd at 2 p.m. Sunday.
"The passing of Stefanie Spielman last November has only strengthened our commitment to raising as much money and awareness for breast cancer research as we can," Kalafatis said. "This event has become something that the players, coaches, softball fans and future college players really look forward to. We have Division I, II and III schools participating along with a couple of NAIA schools. I don't know of another collegiate tournament anywhere that has that kind of attraction."
Fred Beekman Park is an eight-field complex located west of State Route 315 at Lane Avenue. Concessions will be available from the Central Ohio Coaches Association and bleacher seating is limited. Admission to the event will be a $5 donation and all proceeds go directly to the charity.
The Buckeyes would like to thank the Ohio Trooper's Coalition and Roosters for sponsoring the event again in 2010. In addition, a special thank you goes to the Central District high school softball coaches and tournament umpires who will be volunteering their time to run the concession stands and call the games, respectively. Ohio State grounds crew and trainers are also a part of the mass-team effort that has made this event possible.
The teams participating in the event this year include: Ohio State, Ohio, Toledo, Youngstown State, Ohio Dominican, Tiffin, Ursuline, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Urbana, Wittenberg, Denison, Case Western, Kenyon and Rio Grande.
Ohio Collegiate Charity Classic
Fred Beekman Park
Saturday, Oct. 2
Noon
Ohio State vs. Ohio at Field 1
Toledo vs. Youngstown State at Field 2
Tiffin (Green) vs. Ohio Dominican at Field 3
2 p.m.
Ohio State vs. Toledo at Field 1
Ohio vs. Youngstown State at Field 2
Ohio Dominican vs. Tiffin (White) at Field 3
Tiffin (Green) vs. Ursuline at Field 4
4 p.m.
Tiffin (White) vs. Ursuline at Field 1
Ohio vs. Tiffin (Green) at Field 2
Sunday, Oct. 3
Noon
Ohio State vs. Kent State at Field 1
Miami (Ohio) vs. Ohio Dominican at Field 2
Toledo vs. Urbana at Field 3
Wittenberg vs. Denison at Field 4
Case Western vs. Kenyon at Field 5
2 p.m.
Ohio State vs. Toledo at Field 1
Miami (Ohio) vs. Kent State at Field 2
Rio Grande vs. Urbana at Field 3
Denison vs. Case Western at Field 4
Wittenberg vs. Kenyon at Field 5
4 p.m.
Case Western vs. Wittenberg at Field 2
Rio Grande vs. Ohio Dominican at Field 3
Denison vs. Kenyon at Field 4
Home team in Bold