Thousands of college athletes from around the country — including those from schools in the elite Big 10 conference along with their families, coaches and spectators — are heading to Leesburg over the next four weekends beginning Friday for women’s softball matches, injecting tourism dollars into Lake County’s economy by filling up hotels and restaurants.
“This is a huge deal for Leesburg,” said Al Minner, Leesburg’s city manager, who did not hide his excitement about the tournaments being played at the city’s Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex. “We’re bringing in thousands of folks into our lakefront city…. We’ve got the best bass fishing in the state and we’ve got great softball.