Mayfair Park in Westchester has been the host site for sixteen-inch softball leagues and tournaments for over fifty years. The early days of the league primarily catered to local and surrounding area teams. Back in those days, all games were played starting at 6:30 pm on three fields. In the early 70s, Westchester lit its first field, which was primarily used for its softball league.
In 1983 the District made the decision to grade the entire park to alleviate water retention problems. Part of that renovation removed one of the three fields and the construction of two larger fields that could accommodate hardball, twelve-inch softball, and sixteen-inch softball. The league at that time hosted three separate leagues – an A and a B men’s league and a sixteen-inch women’s league.
In the early 90s, the second field was lit and a twelve-inch slow pitch league was added when the women’s league was discontinued. Again in the early 2000s, the outfields were graded and the outfield fences were brought in to 300 feet. New lights and backstops were recently installed bringing in the fences to a more manageable distance of 270 feet. Teams such as the Miller 45’s, Flash, Signature Transportation, Flashback, Jynx, Impact have all called Westchester their home.
Over the years the fields at Westchester have hosted a variety of tournaments. The Suburban Life Classic was was one of the first tournaments to be played on them. Recently Westchester hosted baseball tournaments, state police softball tournaments, IHSA twelve-inch state tournaments, ASA sixteen-inch and twelve-inch ASA qualifying tournaments, SSA tournaments, state police tournaments, and the final games of the SSA “A” Nationals. Westchester is also the proud host of the Tournament of Champions, one of the premiere sixteen-inch tournaments held each year, for more than ten years.