Diamond 9 Events, based in Celebration, Fla. has announced the launch of the 2027 National High School Softball Invitational, a 64-team event to be held April 1-3, 2027, at the state-of-the-art softball-centric 17^th Street Regional Park complex in Sarasota, Fla.

Headed by Kevin O’Donnell, President of Diamond 9 Events (also “D9 Events”) and founder of the Jersey Intensity travel ball organization, the Invitational will feature top high school softball programs from across the nation competing in an interstate championship format.

Located just five miles and 15 minutes from the ocean waters of Lido Beach, the 17^th Street complex, currently under construction, is expected to be one of the most impressive in the nation for fastpitch softball when completed.

It will include 15 softball-dedicated fields, permitting a championship environment all on one site.

“The Invitational is more than a tournament,” O’Donnell says. “It is a national showcase experience designed to bring together the best high school programs in the country into one championship-level environment.”

O’Donnell, who founded D9 Events in 2010, said the idea for the Diamond 9 National High School Invitational came to him while watching high school softball playoffs at the state level.

“The concept grew out of seeing these state championships and the excitement they deliver,” he explains.

“However, one problem is that often—because of being in different divisions—the best teams don’t face each other, even in state playoffs.  The Invitational will bring together elite teams on a national level to create bragging rights!”

The D9 team began having behind-the-scenes talks in the last week with many top national programs to gauge interest.

How has the early response been?

“Tremendous,” O’Donnell, a longtime club coach and event director previously based in New Jersey, responds.

“Everyone likes the idea of playing teams outside their state and also having top-ranked teams under one umbrella at one venue.

The Invitational will include four pools with 16 teams in each, all playing towards the championship game.

Each team will be guaranteed four games and losing teams will continue competing in a consolation playback bracket.  

Importantly, the tournament will be held during a live high school recruiting evaluation period, and it is projected that more than 100 college coaches will be on site to watch and evaluate the top talent competing from all over the U.S.

Onsite during the Invitational, there will be national event sponsors and—for those who can’t attend in person but want to follow the action—all games will be televised and/or live streamed.

On the media side, Brentt Eads, the Executive Editor of Line Drive Media, will be covering the 2027 National High School Softball Invitational with exclusive, in-depth articles including pre-event write-ups, live (on-site) updates, and post-tournament coverage featuring team articles, player spotlights, game previews and recaps, post-game interviews and more.

“What a great event to cover with the best of the best teams and players in the country all assembled at one location playing each other!” Eads says.

“I anticipate this will be the most impressive collection of high school talent in one event that I’ll have seen in my 20-plus years in the softball editorial space.”

Initial invitations were sent out last week and already eight top prep teams have confirmed their attendance for next year and received the impressive “Golden Ticket” confirming they’re in.

In-state, Coach Mark Montimurro of Coral Springs Charter, a perennial Florida high school softball powerhouse currently ranked No. 5 in the state with a 11-1 record, locked in his spot almost immediately.

“You always want to be a part of something new,” he explains, “especially when it’s a creation from a quality, veteran softball pioneer in Kevin who does everything in a first-class way.”

“We are excited and honored to be a part of this prestigious event.”

Outside the Sunshine State borders, an early “yes” came from Head Coach Debbie Schwartz of Donovan Catholic High in Tom’s River, New Jersey.

The Griffins softball program has consistently been a juggernaut in the Garden State and Schwartz will go down as one of the greatest high school softball coaches ever, as she’s coached 36 seasons with a 788-199 overall record and has won seven New Jersey state titles.

She’s also developed high-level talent such as future NCAA D1 All-Americans Karina Gaskins (Notre Dame, ACC Player of the Year) and Jayda Kearney (Georgia, SEC home run leader), to name just two.

“We are excited by the potential the Diamond 9 National High School Softball Invitational has on the high school game nationally,” Coach Schwartz explains.

“I have been involved with organizations who have asked me to rank high school softball teams across the country and it’s tough to do. Now, we have a venue where stakeholders can play and settle it on the field.”

“I am excited to be a part of this competition!”

Coaches interested in learning more about the event next Spring or expressing an interest in being invited can email Kevin O’Donnell at kod@d9events.com.