The Paris Olympics have been a ratings hit this summer, but softball has been noticeably missing from the worldwide competition.

That all changes when softball returns to the Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles. The city previously hosted the Summer Olympics in 1984 and 1932.

“Pleased that softball is in the 2028 Olympics,” said Texas Glory’s Kevin Shelton, who led his 16U team to an Alliance co-national championship last month.

“It definitely helps keep the considerable momentum our sport currently has at all levels. The competition should be great and fun to watch. I hope it continues to be part of the games in 2032.”

“Softball being back in the Olympics in 2028 is great for the sport of softball,” Beverly Bandits coach Bill Conroy said, “but even greater for all the young softball players with aspirations of playing softball at the highest level.”

Actually, the International Olympic Committee is moving softball to USA Softball’s Devon Park in Oklahoma City, the site of the Women’s College World Series and Oklahoma Sooners softball.

“OKC has the best softball venue in the country,” Shelton said. “Playing it there gives us as a country a chance to put our best foot forward, the players the optimum playing experience and fans the maximum opportunity to take the games in, in person. It’s a great choice!”

The United States will become the only nation to host two Olympics softball competitions in 2028. The sport debuted at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

“I understand the decision to move the games to Oklahoma City because of the history,” Conroy said, “but I was hoping they could have found a venue such as UCLA (in Los Angeles) to keep softball with the other Olympic sports. I assume space availability was the problem. Fantastic to have softball back in Olympics at any venue and OKC has the history and the WCWS behind it.”

— Carlos Arias, Line Drive Media (Follow Carlos on Twitter @los_stuff)