Catch the USA Softball 2024 High Performance Program National Selection Event at Jackie Robinson Training Complex

We are proud to team up with our venue partner, the Jackie Robinson Training Complex, to cover the USA Softball High Performance Program (HPP) National Selection Event this Friday 12/13 - Sunday 12/15 in Vero Beach, Florida.

Top softball players will showcase their skills in a series of on-field evaluations and scrimmages in front of the U.S. Junior Women’s National Team Selection Committee and HPP evaluators — including U.S. Olympians and professional softball athletes — for a chance to be selected to age-specific U.S. Junior Women’s National Team rosters based on scheduled events for the 2024 season.

Follow the action LIVE or replay anytime on-demand: https://watch.hcst.me
Great viewing opportunity to inspire youth softball players!

Event info here: https://www.usasoftball.com/hpp/2024-hpp-national-selection-event/

Score! New Scorekeeping /Scoreboard Feature is LIVE

Scorekeeping has been on your wishlist and we’re thrilled to share that HiCast Sports now provides a new scorekeeping and scoreboard feature within our product so our venue partners, tourney organizers, and/or volunteers can keep score on our coverage. Users can now follow match/game scores while watching live, in DVR mode, or anytime on-demand.

Currently, only authorized users have the ability to keep score to ensure accuracy. The decision to score a tourney or a game is up to each of our venue partners, so while we can’t guarantee a scoreboard will be present, our tool makes it easy for our partners to share the score with you to keep you in the game. Over time, we look forward to expanding scorekeeping access to all fan volunteers to increase the amount of games scored across our network.

Volleyball matches can be scored in sets of 3 or 5 and we’ve built in logic to auto advance sets based on set score.

Baseball/Softball games can be scored with basic innings and runs, or more advanced scoring to track balls, strikes, outs and top or bottom of each inning. We’ve built in logic to auto advance innings on the third out and reset counts when a batter reaches a fourth ball or a third strike.

If you are interested to be among our test group of fans to score games in the future (yes, we’ll offer perks!), contact us and we’ll be in touch when we’re ready to roll that out.

Time's Running Out to Save Your Summer Season Moments That Matter™

Did you know that your summer season games are available to watch anytime on-demand? All recorded games are accessible for three months from date of play, so now's the time to replay your games and save and share your best game highlights before they're gone! Here's how...

First, find your game – You'll need to know the venue name, field name/number, date and time of your game to find it in our archive.

1. Login here: https://watch.hcst.me and search for or select the venue name on the home page.

2. Select the field name/number and tap the "View On-Demand" tab above the video.

3. Tap on the date to reveal a calendar and select the date of your game. The video will update. Then select the hour start time of your game. Then just tap play! You can drag the play bar to move within the hour time segment. 

Then, TAG your highlights – You can save as many 1-minute highlights as you like. Any highlights you save remain accessible to you after your subscription is cancelled or expires.

1. While watching on-demand, tap the TAG button.

2. Drag the orange start and end points to define the duration of your highlight up to 60 seconds. Add a name to help identify your highlight, then tap the Save button. Your highlights will be saved to the "My Highlights" page so you can access them anytime.

3. To view, share or download a highlight, go to the "My Highlights" page and tap on a highlight to open it. Then tap the orange (...) icon and select "Copy Link" to quickly share a link to your highlight, or select "Request Download" to download your highlight to your computer or mobile device. And don't forget to "Submit to HiCast" so we can consider featuring your highlight on the "Featured Highlights" page within our product and in social media!

Ballparks National, the Premier Fast-pitch Ballpark Destination in the Midwest, Joins the HiCast Sports Network

Photo Courtesy of Ballparks National

HiCast Sports Network, a game-changing, subscription-based social broadcast company is proud to announce Ballparks National as a new venue partner. It is the first premier fast-pitch softball venue, and the second ballpark in Missouri to join the HiCast Sports Network. HiCast Sports puts the game in the hands of youth and amateur athletes, their coaches, families and fans to view sporting events live or on-demand at top venues across the nation anywhere, anytime, on any device.

Ballparks National, a new privately-owned fast-pitch softball and baseball ballpark located minutes from Lake of the Ozarks, opened their gates in 2021. Founded by former sports broadcasters, Jeff Vernetti and Bob Ramsey, the venue has been a long-time in the making and currently selling out tournaments for the 2022 Spring and Summer season. HiCast Sports Network provides video coverage on all five all-turf fields for travel tournaments attracting fast-pitch softball teams for all age groups and baseball teams up to 13U. From the beginning of March through end of October, Ballparks National will host about 30 tournaments, 800 teams, and 40,000 patrons this year from 15 different states, as well local high school and college softball games, clinics and state-wide tournaments.

“We’re a family-friendly destination facility,” shares Keith Lucas, Assistant General Manager. “Lake of the Ozarks is hailed as the best recreational lake in the midwest. People come from all over to vacation and play here, and having the HiCast Sports Network gives extended family members the chance to share the game-day experience from home, or anywhere in the world.” Ballparks National delivers creative guest services and theme-based tourneys; fun activities including a radar-speed pitch zone, bounce houses for young siblings, and fireworks; and an expansive deck overlooking the park with a full-service bar and grill to provide a unique and enjoyable experience for the whole family.

Photo Courtesy of Ballparks National

“Even our local teams traveling from Jefferson City, Columbia and Springfield, or even farther from St. Louis and Kansas City want overnight stay options for our weekend tournaments. The Lake of the Ozarks region offers a wide range of options for different budgets from campgrounds to home vacation rentals to 5-star hotels,” adds Jeff Vernetti, General Manager. “We work with our sponsors, from boat dealers to water parks and restaurants, to offer special promotions to our families to help them plan a fun vacation for the whole family both on and off our fields.”

Understanding the importance of video coverage from a fast-pitch softball recruiting perspective, Ballparks National initially attempted to set up and manage their own video streaming solution. Keith shares, “It was challenging. We had to turn cameras off and on, keep batteries charged, and make sure cameras didn’t overheat out in the summer sun. There’s a lot of elements involved in video streaming and it was just a hassle.”

Photo Courtesy of Ballparks National

Jeff adds, “In the end we wanted to go with a really good company who knew what they were doing and could take that aspect of video streaming technology off our plate so we could focus on doing what we do best – creating a great tournament experience. HiCast Sports Network was the best choice in a partner. We can now stream games from all five fields to our concession area and to viewers anywhere in the world, and I liked HiCast Sports covers other top ballparks around the country. It makes it easier for our teams to have one login, and use one solution from an established brand. ”

HiCast Sports Network users from around the world have watched more than five million game minutes featuring more than 500,000 athletes playing on more than 200 fields and courts at premier baseball/softball and indoor court venues in Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. HiCast Sports subscribers have saved and shared nearly 250,000 game highlights, the Moments That Matter™ with the people who matter most.

Expanding Video Coverage for Baseball and Softball to the Rocky Mountain Region

HiCast Sports Network, a game-changing, subscription-based social broadcast company which allows youth athletes, their coaches, families and fans to view sporting events live or on-demand at top venues across the nation anywhere, anytime, on any device, is proud to announce El Pomar Youth Sports Park in Colorado as a new venue partner. It is the first baseball/softball venue to join the HiCast Sports Network in Colorado.

HiCast Sports Network began coverage on all nine baseball/softball fields at El Pomar Youth Sports Park this month. Play on these fields (about 70% baseball and 30% softball) spans practices and games for local youth and adult amateur leagues from February through October, as well as statewide, regional and national tournaments organized by Triple Crown, Colorado Springs Baseball, Colorado Altitude Softball, Indian Peaks Girls Softball Association, National Championship Sports, and others attracting youth teams to Colorado Springs from across the country. Tournament play typically occurs during the spring and summer season and represents approximately 15% of total youth athlete play at the venue.

Photo Credit: Visit COS

Colorado Springs Youth Sports and El Pomar Youth Sports Park Executive Director Steve Czarnecki shares, “With technological advances, remote viewing has become more popular in recent years and demand has increased significantly during the pandemic. Now, parents, grandparents, other relatives, and friends can watch their family members play baseball and softball at El Pomar Youth Sports Park from across town or across the world. And, we love that players can now watch themselves on-demand, and the app makes it easy for users to save their favorite game highlights to share with friends and family, as well as college recruiters. We’re proud to be able to offer this value-added service to league and tournament operators, players, and their families.”

The El Pomar Youth Sports Park, opened in 2000, spans 57 acres and is owned and operated by non-profit organization Colorado Springs Youth Sports in partnership with the City of Colorado Springs. El Pomar Sports Park welcomes more than 100,000 youth athletes and 300,000 patrons to the venue each year.

HiCast Sports Network users from around the world have watched more than four million game minutes featuring more than 300,000 athletes playing on more than 145 fields and courts at premier baseball/softball and volleyball venues in Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

Aerial photo credits: Visit COS

COVID-19 Pauses Live Play, So We've Unarchived All of Your 2019 Games

Spring tournaments across our network came to an unexpected close by March 15, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At present, most our ballparks have paused play indefinitely with a common hope to resume sooner than later. It’s a difficult time for all of us right now, but coming together as a country to help slow the spread of this virus, flatten the curve for our healthcare system, and to support one another as one team is what’s most important right now.

But we know you need some good news while you’re homebound, and a way to stay connected to the game you love, so we've unarchived ALL of your games from 2019, so you can replay the Moments That Matter™ on-demand! Take advantage of this time you have with your family to dive into the archives together and watch your favorite games from ballparks across our network. Be sure to use our mobile app to tag highlights as you watch... We've got a contest coming soon! 

We couldn't have made this happen without our ballpark partners: Baseball Heaven, Sports at the Beach, Diamond Nation, Baseball USA "The Yard" Powered by Marucci Elite Texas and Texas USSSA Baseball, The Shipyard Park, Tyger River Park, Ballparks of America, East Cobb Baseball Complex, Buckhead Baseball, and JockJive Sports. Thanks for standing by us as we all wait this out together as a team.

Uniting to Support & Respect Umpires and the Game We Love

Can we be real with you? Recently we received an email from Triple Crown Sports making clear their commitment for enforcing respect for umpires, and we applaud that wholeheartedly. The men and women in blue behind the plate and on the field calling the game we all love are often targets of abuse. You've heard it and seen it as we have. It's a problem.

Many umpires we've met have been players or coaches just like you, and most are parents just like you. Umpires do this work on the field because they love the game, just like us. We won't always agree with an umpire's decision, but let's always respect that the decision is theirs to make. Let it go and move on to the next play. Will you join us in supporting and respecting umpires across all of our venues? Let's hold each other accountable to that. 

Photo above shows Central Georgia Umpires watching their field work and improving their skills at East Cobb Baseball Complex.

Rawlings Moment of the Month Winner for May 2019

Congratulations to HiCast User @Baby12 for being our Rawlings Moment of the Month for May 2019. About the moment: Richard Becher Memorial Tournament at Baseball Heaven on 5/19/19. It’s the 10U Championship game between Brooklyn Falcons vs. Madison Tigers. Two outs, two balls, and two strikes... runners on 2nd and 3rd. Joshua Diaz crushes it sending in teammates Christian and Ulysses to score, contributing to their big win!

HiCast Sports Network selects one winning moment from highlights shared in our app’s HiCast Feed each month all summer long. Winners score their pick from an incredible lineup of Rawlings Sporting Goods bats. Learn more our Rawlings Moment of the Month contest.

We've Teamed Up with Rawlings to Bring You Some Big News and a Crack at Winning a Rawlings Bat

We're proud to announce that Rawlings Sporting Goods has joined our team as an Official Network Sponsor. What's in it for you? Awesome prizes, player tips, and great visibility for your Moments That Matter™! We'll award a Rawlings Moment of the Month starting this month and all summer long. Each monthly winner receives your pick from the Rawlings lineup of bats. Woo hoo! Check 'em out.

Who's eligible?
All HiCast Sports Network users. You must have a HiCast Sports account tied to a valid email address as this is how we'll communicate with you. If you don't respond to our winner notification email within 48 hours, we'll pick another winner, so be ready!

How do I enter?
Using your HiCast Sports account, tag, save and share your HiCast highlights (baseball or softball) to our app's HiCast Feed. We'll review all highlights and select winners from the HiCast Feed. Provide details like player's name(s), team name and age division in your caption as we'll ask for this information if you're selected as a winner.

Who gets the prize?
The HiCast User who shared the winning highlight in the HiCast Feed is the prize winner. The winner is welcome to gift the prize to the player featured in the highlight, but that's at the winner's discretion.

What's the monthly deadline?
We'll review highlights throughout the month up through the last day of each month. The date of your highlight share determines the month's eligibility. For example, if your highlight occurred on April 28th, but you shared the highlight to the HiCast Feed on May 1, your highlight is eligible to be a May winner. The monthly winner will be announced on the 11th of the following month. For example, our May eligibility will run through May 31st and we'll announce the winner on June 11.

Covering the ACCC Softball Championship in Partnership with JockJive Sports

May 3-6, 2019 – We’re excited to announce our first opportunity to deliver college softball in our HiCast Sports Network in partnership with JockJive Sports and thanks to their video coverage and commentary of the Alabama Community College Conference Softball Championship at Veteran’s Park in Alabaster, Alabama. Fans can watch games live at no cost, and create a HiCast Sports Network account to view games on-demand any time, and use our mobile app for iOS to save and share their favorite game highlights with the people who matter most. Email a home run to Grandma, text that great catch to Uncle Ralph, or post the game-winning run to share with your social media followers.

Get ACCC Softball Championship details here.

View live games this weekend and create your account here to watch on-demand and save and share the Moments That Matter™

May 6 Update:

1:00pm CDT Championship Final Game: Shelton State defeats Wallace Dothan 10-4

11:00am CDT Championship Game 1: Wallace Dothan defeats Shelton State 4-2

Covered in partnership with JockJive Sports

Tyger River Park on the HiCast Sports Network

Tyger River Park sits on 140+ acres in Spartanburg, SC and attracts nearly 2,000 teams each year. This beautiful 12-field venue serves as home base for local youth softball and baseball players, and a comfortable tournament destination for USA Softball of South Carolina and other leagues. In 2018 they'll host the USA Fast Pitch Girls' Class A 12U National Championship. Meet Trey Glover, Park Operations Manager, and Chad Green, USA Softball Commissioner for SC, and hear what they value most about being a part of the HiCast Sports Network.

Android? We've got you covered.

We're excited to announce the official release of our HiCast Sports App for Android today! Now you can stay in the game and share the Moments That Matter™ using any device. Anytime. Anywhere. Create your HiCast Sports account to get started, then download our app from the Google Play Store.

Need help? Check our answers to frequently asked questions or give our coaching staff a shout.