TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa is the host city for this year's National Beep Baseball Association World Series.
There are more than 400 players competing for the title, according to the Tulsa Sports Commission.
All the athletes are from out of town, including different counties like Taiwan and the Dominican Republic.
Beep baseball is the adapted version of American baseball for the visually impaired and legally blind.
However, on the field all the players are equal.
"There's different levels of blindness, so everybody wears a blindfold. So if you have some sight, the blindfold is going to cut all that out, so nobody can see anything during beep baseball," said Faith Penn, a beep baseball player from Austin.
The sport is played with an oversized softball that beeps and lets the batter time their swing. The game only has six innings, compared to nine in traditional baseball.
“It is extremely challenging. When you first come out, you’re not going to get it off the top," explained Penn.
According to baseballhall.org, the only sighted players on the field are "pitchers, catchers and spotters that help to prevent serious collisions."
While Oklahoma doesn't have a beep baseball team, the Tulsa Sports Commission is proud to hold its first world series.
"Their entire families are here. They've been already to the Gathering Place, downtown, couple of museums, so they're actually bringing a lot of economic impact into the city," said Laura Porth, the event manager for the Tulsa Sports Commission.
For many of the athletes, the sport isn't just a pastime.
"You meet a lot of friends and a lot of people, and it's like your second home, second family, so I love that about it," said Penn.
The first game starts at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 30 at Mohawk Sports Complex in Tulsa. The last day of the championship is Saturday, August 3.
Anyone is welcome to watch and cheer on the players!
For more information on the schedule of events, click here.
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