Rosemont to host women’s softball championship

Rosemont will host the 2012 National Pro Fastpitch Championship Series, Aug. 23 through 26, at Rosemont Stadium, home of the Bandits, officials announced today.

Dubbed the “World Series” of women’s softball, the NPF Championship Series is the league’s hallmark event and will feature the nation’s top four professional teams.

Landing the championship is a coup for the village, which is trying to establish itself as an entertainment and sports hub.

Rosemont Stadium was built last year specifically as a venue for women’s fastpitch softball, Mayor Bradley Stephens said.

“We have the only field (in the league) that is specifically designed for the women to play on. The other three teams play on modified men’s fields,” Stephens said. “There has been a tremendous groundswell of support for and excitement about women’s fastpitch softball in our community, and bringing the NPF Championship Series to Rosemont will only build upon this strong foundation.”

The village also will be expanding its stadium complex, building a dome with two additional fields west of the stadium on village-owned land. Officials are also working with a group to bring tournaments there, Stephens said.

The championship series is being supported by the Rosemont Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“Mayor Stephens and the village of Rosemont have demonstrated a strong commitment to women’s fastpitch softball,” Commissioner Cheri Kempf of the National Pro Fastpitch League said in a news release. “The Rosemont Stadium is an ideal venue for the series from both a player and a fan perspective. The environment in Rosemont will no doubt enhance the premier women’s fastpitch softball competition in the world.”