Bowling Green beat out 15 other cities, including some much larger, to land the USA/ASA Girls’ Fast Pitch Nationals in 2013.

It will be Bowling Green’s first opportunity to host the event, which should bring 70 to 100 teams into town for eight days, according to Amy Cardwell, sports marketing director for the Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Getting the new fields really made a difference in our ability to land the tournament,” Cardwell told the CVB board during its meeting Monday.

Warren County Fiscal Court agreed to foot the bill for four new ballfields at Mike Buchanon Park. Cardwell said those should be complete by June.

Construction of the fields brought the number of fields available for tournament play to 20 at four park facilities.

Only Spartanburg, S.C., and Tallahassee, Fla., had more fields. Tallahassee’s 31 fields, however, are spread across 15 facilities, according to bids submitted for the 10 and under tournament.

The tournament most recently was in Johnson City, Tenn., (a previous host city) and Bloomington, Ind., will be the 2012 host.

The tournament is set for July 28-Aug. 6, 2013.

At a minimum, the tournament will bring 3,500 people to the community and will have at least a $4 million impact, Cardwell said.

Also at least week’s bidding conference, Bowling Green received recognition for having the best ASA national tournament of 2011 and was one of only three communities to receive a 100 percent rating from coaches, officials and teams.

Bowling Green also will host a men’s fast-pitch tournament in 2013.

Cardwell said the community is gearing up for the 2011 Russell Athletic/KHSAA State Football Finals at Houchens-L.T. Smith Stadium on Dec. 2-3.

Cardwell said typically about half of the 12 teams playing will stay in town.

The bands, cheerleaders and parents will have the bigger economic impact.

Russell is a new sponsor for this year’s tournament.

“We will have great college coaches coming (to scout),” she said.

“And Russell is one of the best partners we can possibly have for this.”

Russell Athletics is owned by Fruit of the Loom and is based in Bowling Green.

In other matters, the board heard from group sales director Duncan Hines that interest in motor coach tours continues to pick up. A military organization, Red Horse Association, is confirmed for 2013 with 300 participants and the Kentucky Baptist Association will have a regional meeting here in October with 200 room nights.

Auditor Jerry Shelton presented his view of 2011 finances. Shelton said it was a completely clean audit with no findings or recommendations for change of procedures.

Shelton complimented the board on bringing in more revenue than it had budgeted for, about $184,000.

“It shows how lucky we are in Bowling Green,” he said. “I doubt if very many other tourism boards could show such an increase.”

Shelton said their efforts are paying off.

Board chairman David Wiseman gave Executive Director Vicki Fitch a literal pat on the back.

Meeting in the board room, crowded with materials and a makeshift office for regional sales director Lesley Corns, Fitch said she has met with several architects to discuss an addition to the CVB building.

Fitch said it’s not clear how much space will be added at the rear of the property. At a minimum, it will include at least one office space and an area for storage. There may be two other offices.