Local restaurant, business and hotel officials say they are ready to serve the tens of thousands of people who could descend upon Orangeburg as the city hosts the 2024 Diamond Youth Baseball World Series.
“I love it,” Whipped Sweets and Treats Manager Tammy Hughes said. “It is a great, great thing for Orangeburg. I am so excited. I am so glad they chose Orangeburg to do this. We need this in our community.”
The Rodrigues Court business has been waiting for the World Series.
“We have been preparing for a couple of weeks now,” she said. “We have been staffing up extra help for the upcoming week. We have been ordering extra products so we will be in stock. We will stay fully stocked for the entire duration of the whole event.”
The DYB tournament, which will be held from Thursday, July 25 through Tuesday, July 30, will feature all-star teams from 11 Southeast states and a host team from Orangeburg.
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The teams are made up of 7- and 8-year-old players.
The bulk of the events for the five-day period will be held at Orangeburg’s North Road Recreational Complex.
The local hospitality industry says it’s ready to serve the thousands of visitors that are expected.
“We have been doing a lot more hiring to get ready for the big rush,” North Road Sonic Manager Dalton Travelstead said. “I just know when it is happening, we will probably have an entirely full store, like twice the number as normal.”
Travelstead said the restaurant, which is just a stone’s throw from the recreational complex, is giving participants in the World Series some love.
“Right now, we have baseball players receive a 10 percent discount as long as they can show they are baseball players,” Travelstead said.
Broughton Street Cafe owner Veronica BeCoate has made flyers for hotels on U.S. Highway 601, where most of the attendees will be staying.
“We would like to be optimistic that they will find us on this side of town because we are not on that side of town,” BeCoate said. “Hopefully with the flyers, it will give them another source of a place to eat, for them to visit this side of Orangeburg.”
BeCoate said the Broughton Street Cafe could provide a “little bit more homey” atmosphere.
She said the restaurant has seen an influx of participants during past tournaments.
“Most of the preparation is to just letting them know we are here,” BeCoate said. “We want them to know who we are. Hopefully that will be enough to bring them this way.”
Citadel Road Cracker Barrel shift manager Sylvester Brown said the restaurant is ready.
“We have been getting hit with so many big crowds back-to-back,” Brown said. “Right now, it just comes with the summertime.”
“We are staying stocked up, trying to keep a good staff and keep everybody in good spirits,” Brown continued. “We try to greet everybody and treat everybody with respect when they come in.”
“I am always excited for new events going on around here, especially when it brings us some business,” Brown continued.
“It is going to be busy,” Brown said. “We are going to make money. The hotels are going to be filled up, which is good. The ones that are not going to stay directly here still will travel here.”
“We are a family restaurant, so that is another plus to look forward to: to see everyone come in here with their family and their friends,” Brown said.
At the Prince of Orange Mall’s Belk, the World Series comes just as the store begins ramping up for back-to-school sales.
“Having families here with children that are about to start school should be really big for the back-to-school traffic,” Belk Store Manger Justin Towery said. “That is going to be pretty exciting to have that many people in the area. That is going to drive a lot of people to the store, I would assume.”
Towery said he will make sure the store has good staffing in place to handle the potential crowds.
The Shoe Department Store Manger Celia Keitt said, “I think it is a good thing for Orangeburg, people coming in from different places. More people, more traffic will come by the mall and that way the store will get more business.”
“I am kind of excited,” Keitt said.
While Keitt doesn’t know if the players will shop at The Shoe Department, the influx of visitors can only be a good thing.
“At least they are coming to Orangeburg where they can see the City of Orangeburg,” she said.
She will make sure the store is fully staffed.
“If they do come by the mall, you want to make sure you have enough people to be ready to check them out and help them out and to be on the floor to help them out,” Keitt said.
Comfort Inn and Suites General Manger LaTonya Edwards said the Citadel Road hotel is completely full over the weekend. The hotel will serve as a sponsor of the event.
“I am happy the City of Orangeburg came and reached out to us to help assist with this,” Edwards continued. “The City of Orangeburg is going to generate a lot of revenue from this group coming into town.”
Edwards expressed her appreciation that city officials came and talked to the hotels in advance, helping them better prepare for the number of visitors.
“It will be a smoother transition for customers,” Edwards said. “They have given us time to prepare.”
Edwards said the hotel is planning to add new items to its breakfast menu, such as dinosaur chicken nuggets for the kids.
“With them giving us time enough to prepare, it will give us an opportunity to do things outside of the norm,” Edwards said.
Edwards said if it was not for the World Series, she is pretty sure the hotel would not have been sold out.
“Almost half of the hotel has been committed to them,” she said.
“I am excited about being able to accommodate them,” Edwards said. She’s reached out to area restaurants about any discounts they may be offering that she can inform the customers.
At Orangeburg’s Tru by Hilton on Citadel Road, Assistant General Manager Faye Williams said the hotel is ready.
“It’s looking great!” Williams said, adding that the hotel is close to being full. “We’re going to be pretty busy. We are excited to welcome them in.”
“It’s amazing for Orangeburg to be hosting this event and I’m looking forward to being a small part of the action,” she said. “I feel it brings awareness of the community to those who have never heard of Orangeburg. I also think it’ll be great for the local businesses as well.”
Williams said the large number of visitors may be unusual for the Orangeburg area, but Tru is used to having a full house.
“We have a very busy establishment,” Williams said. “It keeps us on our toes.”
Officials excited
Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce President James McQuilla said he is anticipating 35,000 visitors. If this is realized, he said it will be “the largest single event in Orangeburg in many years.”
“This DYB World Series will immediately share Orangeburg with citizens from 10 other states,” McQuilla said. “Anytime you have a chance to host an event that will showcase your city and control the narrative, you should take it.”
When not attending the World Series festivities, visitors could take time to explore the city and county
“The visitors will be able to visit our water parks, Claflin’s new movie theater, local restaurants, The Max FEC, enjoy a few rounds of golf, and spend a relaxing visit at the one-of-a-kind Edisto rose garden,” McQuilla said.
Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler said, “There will be many things for everyone to do at the complex.
“There will be music entertainment Friday through Sunday beginning around 6, and there will be a kid’s zone for our younger visitors. I also want to encourage our residents to come out as well. There will be something for everyone.”
“This is such an exciting time for Orangeburg,” Butler continued. “This is the first time we have hosted a DYB World Series and we want our residents to come out and support the 7- and 8-year-olds who will be playing.
“They have worked so hard to get to this point and I hope all of the players and coaches have an enjoyable experience and make memories that will last a lifetime.”
World Series specifics
The World Series festivities will kick off Thursday, July 25, with a team dinner and opening ceremonies at South Carolina State University’s Oliver C. Dawson Stadium from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m.
The opening ceremony is free and open to the public.
Attendees are asked to enter campus through Gate 5, 401 Chestnut Street, or Gate 1, 100 Buckley Street. There will be a clear bag policy at the event.
Games will begin Friday, July 26 at 9 a.m.
A series pass will cost $30 a person and allows entry to all games during the tournament.
A daily pass is $10 and allows entry to one full day of games.
All attendees must have a pass to enter the ballpark at any point during the tournament. Passes are not required for concerts in the park. The concerts are free and open to the public.
Series passes will be sold during opening ceremonies and at the ticket booths during the first day of play (pool play on Friday, July 26).
Daily passes will only be sold at the ticket booths each day and can only be purchased on the day you are attending the World Series.
Attendees are asked to use the main gate at the Orangeburg Recreation Park, 224 Magnolia Village Parkway (across from Lowe’s on North Road), for both the tournament and for the concerts in the park.
The Concert Series will take place Friday, July 26 through Sunday, July 28, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each night. This family-friendly event features a variety of musical acts, including:
• Friday, July 26: Surfside – Beach Night in the Park
• Saturday, July 27: Cash Money Experience – R&B Night in Orangeburg
• Sunday, July 28: DJ RED – Dance Party in the Park
Refreshments will be sold at the park and during events. No cash will be accepted as attendees will be required to pay by card.
For more information about the event, visit orangeburgdyb.com
NOTE: Diamond Youth Baseball was formerly known as Dixie Youth Baseball. The name changed on Jan. 1, 2024, with DYB being a standard reference for the organization.
Contact the writer: gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5551. Check out Zaleski on Twitter at @ZaleskiTD.
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