Cape Cod Senior Softball Classic Celebrates 30 Years

HARWICH – One of Cape Cod’s best sports traditions just celebrated a major milestone. 

 A record 64 teams from seven states took part in this year’s Cape Cod Senior Softball League’s Cape Cod Classic tournament on Sept. 6 to 11. It marked the 30th anniversary of the tournament, which pits local players from across the Cape against teams from across New England and beyond. 

“This tournament has grown so much since its inaugural 30 years ago,” said tournament director Bob Kemple. “It started with eight teams and has grown to a record 64 teams from seven states.”

Many of the Cape teams competing in the tournament were comprised of local players who compete in the Senior Softball League during the summer. The thrill of the Classic is that the Cape players have the opportunity to team up with some of their summer rivals against opponents from far and wide.

“We’ve come 14 or 15 times,” said Dick Gillespie, a Nashua, N.H. resident who plays for the New Hampshire Nemesis. “It’s great. We look forward to it all year — a lot of guys play [in Nashua’s league] just so they can come down here.”

The tournament featured Bourne and Sagamore divisions for each of the 50s, 60s, 65s, 70s and 75s age groups, and just one division for players 80 and older.

Each team played two games per day on two days before the single-elimination playoffs began, and games were held in Harwich, Dennis and Yarmouth. The final champions were crowned on Sept. 11. 

“That’s the good thing about this tournament, it’s divided into different age groups so everyone is playing with players at their level,” said Mike, a Dennis resident on the Cape Cod Kaleidoscopes. “I think there’s one team from Weston that has three teams in different age groups.”

The Cape Cod Dugout Dawgs fell in the 75 age group championship, while the Cape Cod Sharks finished as the runner-up in the 80s field. 

Although the players crave the competition, it’s the tournament’s fun nature and the camaraderie it exhibits that has helped the classic last the test of time.

“Some of the players have been playing in our tournament for over 20 years,” Kemple said. “The formula of great competition, location, pristine fields and a super team of volunteers makes the classic the go-to tournament in the east.”