Springfield investors buy Branson-area baseball camp

A group of Springfield investors have purchased a baseball camp in the Branson area.

The group, led by Ballparks of America investor Paul Satterwhite, acquired Sho-Me Baseball Camp for undisclosed terms, according to a news release. The camp is slated to be rebranded and operated by Ballparks of America under the management of Sports Facilities Management.

“We see this as an opportunity to not only preserve the history of the Sho-Me Baseball facility, but also to pursue our vision of providing high-school aged players and families the opportunity to play competitive baseball and showcase their talents while enjoying a stay at one of the most beautiful lakes in the country,” Satterwhite said in the release. “Our goal is to showcase the natural beauty of Table Rock Lake while allowing teams and individuals to come together in a historic place where they can experience both their love of the greatest game in the world and time with friends and family in a special environment.”

Sho-Me Baseball Camp is located west of Ballparks of America across Table Rock Lake. The baseball training camp for players ages 8-18 was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the organization's Facebook page.

The Sho-Me Baseball facility, located off Highway DD on the shores of Table Rock Lake, will be used for a limited tournament and event schedule this year. A full 2023 schedule is planned after a rebrand and facelift this year, according to the release.

Sho-Me Baseball was founded in 1958 by baseball players Ernie Nevel and Goldie Howard, and it changed hands multiple times before the Schroeder family purchased and remodeled the camp in the mid-1990s.

In 2020, Satterwhite was among investors who purchased Ballparks of America in Branson from Hamilton Chang and other investors in the Chicago area, according to past reporting. The $20 million Ballparks of America, which has scale replicas of famous professional baseball stadiums, opened in 2016 at the site of the former Red Roof Mall.