MANSFIELD — As far as longtime organizer Josh Cunningham is concerned, the Prince of Pasta softball tournament and Cyclops Circle go together like, well, spaghetti and meatballs.
The annual tournament will return to the recently revived four-field complex on the city’s north side Saturday and Cunningham couldn’t be happier.
“I took over the Pasta in 2008 and we’ve had it every year, but it’s been at Hamilton Park,” Cunningham said. “I enjoyed Hamilton and we got the fields looking nice over there, but to have Cyclops back, it brings back a lot of good memories.
“To be playing at Cyclops again is huge. We’ve actually gotten players who had retired coming back out just to be at Cyclops,” he said.
For Cunningham and his father, Stan, softball is a family affair. The elder Cunningham played for Hi-Stat for several years. The younger Cunningham has suited up for Diamond Knights/Nelly’s Hideaway for the past two-plus decades.
“I’ve never played for anyone else,” Josh Cunningham said. “We’ll be missing a couple guys, but we’ll be playing this weekend.”
The 10-team field also includes the Richland County Merchants. The double-elimination event begins at 9 a.m.
This weekend’s tournament is the second Cyclops has hosted in the past three weeks and more will soon follow. The Mansfield World Series will return to the complex Aug. 8-9.
“We’re starting to draw teams from out of town so tournaments are starting to get deeper and bigger,” Cunningham said. “I’ve run the World Series since 2014 and I would like to get that back to 16 teams like it used to be.
“We’ve got a couple tournaments from One Nation Slowpitch that is run out of the Cleveland area and I’ve also ramped up the All-Star game again this year so we’ve got that going on. It’s going to be a full summer.”
