Diamond Youth World Series showcases Laurel while strengthening the region’s reputation as one of the Southeast’s premier youth sports destinations
LAUREL — For three weeks this summer, the sounds of baseball and softball have echoed across the Susan B. Vincent Sportsplex.
More than 170 teams from across the Southeast have converged on Laurel for the 2026 Diamond Youth Baseball and Softball World Series, bringing thousands of players, coaches and family members to Jones County. By the time the final champions are crowned Monday afternoon, local officials estimate nearly 18,000 visitors will have passed through the community, generating more than $25 million in regional economic activity.
While championship trophies will soon head home with winning teams, Laurel’s biggest victory may have nothing to do with baseball. It’s another reminder that youth sports have quietly become one of the Pine Belt’s biggest economic engines.
A Tournament Bigger Than Baseball
For many visitors, the day doesn’t end after the final out.
Families eat lunch between games, fill hotel rooms, stop at local retailers, buy gas, visit attractions and explore downtown Laurel while waiting for the next first pitch.
That spending adds up quickly. This year’s World Series is one of the largest youth sporting events ever hosted in Jones County, featuring 174 teams, approximately 2,600 players and coaches, plus thousands of parents, grandparents and spectators from throughout the Southeast. The tournament also marked the first time Laurel hosted both the Diamond Youth Baseball and Diamond Youth Softball World Series during the same summer.
Jones County Economic Development Authority President and CEO Ross Tucker believes adding softball created an even larger impact.
“All that does is just add to the anticipation with more people coming in, more exposure that the city and county can have to the sportsplex, to all the amenities around it, to all the restaurants, to all the retail shops.”
To help families explore beyond the ballfields, Visit Laurel & Jones County even created a dedicated online visitor guide featuring restaurants, shopping, attractions and tournament information.
“We have loaded it up with more information than anyone would ever need, as well as information that they might not know about the community,” Tucker said.
Visitors often see freshly groomed fields and full concession stands. What they don’t see are the months of planning required before the first team arrives. Laurel Parks and Recreation Director Elvin Ulmer said preparing for an event of this size involves far more than simply mowing grass.
“It’s a lot of moving parts… the preparation of the field, the playing surface, the building, the press box, the concession stand, the volunteers, the city workers and everything else that goes into it.”
Games are spread across 14 fields, requiring hundreds of volunteers, city employees, umpires, scorekeepers, concession workers and maintenance crews throughout the tournament.
Before baseball teams ever arrived in Laurel, another wave of visitors had already filled local hotels.
The Diamond Youth Softball World Series opened the three-week championship festival in mid-July, bringing approximately 60 teams to the Sportsplex before baseball competition began. Instead of one busy weekend, Laurel experienced nearly three consecutive weeks of sports tourism.
That extended stay benefits everyone, from locally owned restaurants to hotels, gas stations, grocery stores and retail shops. Every family eating breakfast before an 8 a.m. game or grabbing dinner after a late-night elimination contest represents another customer supporting the local economy.
Laurel’s success isn’t happening in isolation. Over the past several years, the Pine Belt has quietly become one of Mississippi’s premier destinations for youth baseball.
Consider the recent run:
- 2023 — Hattiesburg hosted the Dixie Youth Baseball World Series.
- 2025 — Hattiesburg welcomed the DBB World Series to Jaycee Park.
- 2026 — Laurel hosted the Diamond Youth Softball and Baseball World Series.
- 2027 — Hattiesburg is scheduled to host the DBB Junior Boys World Series.
Rather than competing against one another, Laurel and Hattiesburg are creating something much bigger. Together, the two communities are establishing the Pine Belt as a regional sports tourism destination capable of attracting national-caliber youth events year after year.
That benefits far more than the host city. When hotel rooms become scarce in Laurel, families often stay in Hattiesburg or Ellisville. When restaurants are packed after games, visitors spread throughout the region. The economic impact doesn’t stop at city limits. It stretches across the entire Pine Belt.
Youth sports have changed dramatically over the past two decades. What was once a weekend baseball tournament has evolved into a travel industry that communities across America aggressively compete to host. Cities now invest millions in sports complexes because tournaments bring exactly the kind of visitors tourism officials want.
Families stay multiple nights. They eat every meal locally. They shop. They often return later for vacations. For Laurel, this year’s World Series also introduced thousands of first-time visitors to the city.Some came because of baseball. Many left having experienced downtown Laurel, local restaurants, shopping and Southern hospitality.
That’s the kind of marketing campaign no billboard can buy.
Looking Ahead
Monday’s championship games will eventually come to an end. Teams will load their equipment. Hotel parking lots will empty. The Sportsplex will grow quiet once again. But the tournament’s impact won’t disappear with the final out.
Local businesses will have welcomed thousands of new customers. Families from across the Southeast will leave with memories of Laurel and the Pine Belt. Tournament organizers will evaluate another successful championship in the Pine Belt.
And perhaps most importantly, Laurel and Hattiesburg will continue building something bigger than a single event.
They’re building a reputation.
One World Series at a time.
About The Author
