84 teams, Native youth gather for Diamondbacks inter-tribal tournament

Native youth baseball and softball turned Salt River Fields at Talking Stick into a regional gathering, with 84 teams from eight states and nearly 1,500 Native American athletes competing in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 26th annual inter-tribal tournament. The June 8-11 event in Scottsdale also included a Pitch, Hit & Run competition on June 7 as part of MLB PLAY BALL Weekend, giving young players one more chance to step into the spotlight.

The Diamondbacks describe the tournament as a Native American friendship tournament created to promote youth baseball and softball, and the club says it is the only Major League Baseball team that hosts an inter-tribal tournament. Presented by Talking Stick Resort and supported by Resolution Copper and Nike, the event featured four divisions, 12U baseball, 15U baseball, 18U baseball and 18U softball, underscoring how wide the age range has become for Native youth competition.

For northwest New Mexico, one of the clearest local connections came through New Mexico Bangarang. The program brought two teams and 30 players into the Double A and Triple A divisions, and manager Dwight Chavez said it was the group’s first time at the tournament. The roster included players from the Shiprock and Kirtland area, linking McKinley County families and other Navajo Nation communities to a tournament that now stretches across tribal and state lines.

On the field, Tuba City’s Native DomiNation won the 17th annual Double A tournament championship at the main stadium, adding another chapter to a growing inter-tribal tradition. The tournament’s scale has expanded over time, from 58 teams representing 46 Native American tribes in 2012 to a field that now draws over 1,000 athletes from across the United States. That growth reflects how firmly Native youth sports have taken root across the Southwest, where baseball and softball are not just games but a way to bring families, coaches and communities together for a shared summer stage.