New tournament facility to open

TIFFIN – Starting late this fall, the Midwest Tournament Factory (MWTF) will officially open for business, located on CR 54 across from Ag. Pro John Deere. According to Brett Hossler, one of the owners of MWTF, the facility is utilized by featuring indoor youth baseball and softball tournaments, both locally and by travel teams. "We've had people from all over the place at our current location," said Hossler. He continued by noting that teams from New York, Pennsylvania and Kentucky are just a few of the visiting states that they have seen. Both of the owners, Hossler and Eric Kastner, are long-time Tiffin residents and former athletes. Hossler graduated from Tiffin Columbian High School, and Kastner graduated from Calvert Catholic High School. Hossler shared that his experience with athletics gave him inspiration for MWTF, even while he was still playing baseball for Tiffin University. "When I was a player, I had the opportunity to travel all over the place," said Hossler. "I'm very grateful for the experiences I have had." One of the biggest reasons for the change is that their current facility is landlocked and does not contain the space for a full outfield. "We have a full infield at our current facility, but have had to use modified playing conditions to compromise for the missing outfield," said Hossler. Their goal within the next calendar year is to add two full-sized diamonds behind the facility, with naming rights and sponsorship opportunities available. The facilities are set to contain more than just tournaments, though. Additionally, individual training with former college athletes will be offered and numerous travel teams will utilize the facility for practice. Organizations interested in reserving the facility will be able to do so via MWTF's website. mwtournamentfactory.com. Another benefit to the new location will be its proximity to Tiffin's shopping strip, as well as Mercy Health - Tiffin Hospital. Currently, MWTF does not have Athletic Training staff on site. According to Hossler, "Injuries have been few and far between at our current location." Lenny Clouse, owner of Clouse Construction (builders behind the project), said, "I have a lot of great people on my team, you can't do everything on your own," when asked how the company can stay organized with the number of projects they are involved in. "It's almost like a baseball team, everyone has their job– sure you need big hitters, but what would it matter without a team behind them," he said. Once the project is completed, MWTF plans on hosting an open house to give athletes and the community an opportunity to see what they've been working on in the time since the project started in July. For more information, visit their website at mwtournamentfactory.com Those interested in naming rights or sponsorship opportunities please reach out to mwtournamentfactory@gmail.com.