Ripken Baseball Announces New National Tournament
Anwar Stetson
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Tournament organizer Ripken Baseball has announced the launch of the Ripken Nationals, a new national championship tournament for 12U baseball teams. The championship event will take place June 30–July 5, 2026, at Cooperstown All-Star Village in Oneonta, New York.
Ripken Baseball, started by MLB legend Cal Ripken Jr., has hosted youth tournaments for over 20 years. The announcement marks the first organized national championship event under the Ripken name. The Ripken Nationals will bring together top 12U teams from across the United States through a series of regional qualifiers.
Qualifying tournaments will be held at various “Ripken Experiences” venues, including Aberdeen, Maryland; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; and Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Teams that advance from these events will earn a spot in the Cooperstown championship round.
Select qualifier games and the National Championship will air exclusively on CBS Sports Network. All other games, including qualifiers and non-televised matchups, will be streamed live through the service GameChanger. (GameChanger provides scorekeeping and real-time statistics for the games.)
Registration for regional qualifiers opens October 23, 2025, through the official Ripken Nationals website.
The tournament piggybacks on the growth of youth club baseball and a national tournament for travel ball teams. The opportunity allows already established teams to compete around the nation, and gives young athletes a chance to play the best of the best.
Cooperstown All Star Village has long been associated with youth baseball. The “Cooperstown” region is also well known as the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The selection of this site underscores Ripken Baseball’s intent to position the Nationals as a significant event in youth baseball.
More information about the event, including registration details and qualifying locations, can be found here.