Jake Hodge Foundation Wiffle Ball Tournament returns July 31-August 1

The Jake Hodge Foundation Wiffle Ball Tournament will return to Princeton as a two-day fundraiser July 31-Aug. 1, bringing Wiffle Ball, cornhole, batting cages and a home run derby back to Little Field of Dreams and Little Yankee Stadium at 1301 South Jefferson St. The event’s center of gravity is the scholarship mission behind it: all proceeds will go to the Jake Hodge Memorial Scholarship Fund.

That purpose has long defined the tournament’s draw. The Jake Hodge Memorial Foundation says Jake Hodge was 12 years old when he died on June 21, 2008, and the scholarship work has carried his name ever since. The foundation’s own message for the 2026 edition says, “Wiffle Ball is just around the corner! Make your calendars for July 31 and August 1!! 2026 scholarship winners!” That puts the competition in a different lane from a simple summer bracket, with the games serving as the engine for awards that keep Hodge’s legacy visible in Princeton.

The event also has a track record of pulling in teams and families. WKDZ said 30 teams were entered in the 2021 tournament, a sign that the field has grown large enough to sustain a substantial bracket. A 2022 Facebook comment in the search results said it was the 10th year for the tournament, underscoring how firmly the event has settled into the area’s summer calendar. WPKY reported in 2024 that the annual tournament aimed to raise funds for scholarships in memory of Jake Hodge, and in 2025 described the final Jake Hodge Foundation Wiffle Ball Tournament fundraiser as being held at Little Field of Dreams and Little Yankee Stadium.

That mix of competition and cause has made the tournament a familiar local staple. West Kentucky Star described it as “a weekend of fun for the entire family,” while making clear that the baseball-style contests and side events all fed the same end goal: the scholarship fund. The July 31-Aug. 1 return keeps that formula intact, with the foundation using Wiffle Ball to draw donors, teams and attention to the memory of Jake Hodge and the students helped in his name.