About
Ripken Nationals is a baseball tournament where teams compete against the nation’s top 12u teams and play for the right to be called Ripken National Champions. The event includes baseball tournament games such as the Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and a Championship Game, with real-time stats throughout the tournament via GameChanger and media and experiential activations throughout the entire event.
• Ages: 12 years old
• Schedule: National Championships run June 29–July 5, 2026, with tournament games including a Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and a Championship Game; select games are broadcast on CBS Sports Network and GameChanger on July 3–4, 2026.
• Price: Nationals Qualifier events range from $475* to $2,795, depending on date and location, with specific 2026 qualifier entry fees listed as $1,255*, $955*, $495*, $1,495, $2,795, $495*, $595*, $1,995, $1,795, $1,795, $2,295, and $475*.
After 20+ years of tournaments, Ripken Baseball states that it is making history with Ripken Nationals and is on a mission to find the best 12U team in the country. The Ripken National Championships will host 16 teams that earned their way through specified qualifier pathways, and winners of Nationals Qualifier events receive free and automatic bids into the Ripken National Championships. Top 4 teams from pool play at the Cooperstown All Star Village Nationals Qualifier receive bids into the National Championships, and all teams at the main event are outfitted with official Gameday uniforms from partners at Under Armour.
The Ripken Nationals Qualifier Event Package includes a 4-game minimum with 3 pool play games, stat-keeping via GameChanger, tournament awards, and umpires and game balls provided. In these qualifiers, teams are placed in 4-team pools, each team plays 3 pool play games, and the top seed from each pool advances into a single-elimination playoff bracket, with the winner claiming a free bid to the Ripken National Championships scheduled for June 29–July 5. Real-time stats via GameChanger determine All-Tournament Team honors and MVP recognition, and champions at the National Championships will be the first to raise a one-of-a-kind, fully custom Ripken National Championships trophy. Ripken Baseball states that its mission is to provide ballplayers with an experience similar to what its founders had in the Big Leagues, and to provide players, coaches, and families with experiences and memories connected to the game.
Last updated May 26, 2026.
• Ages: 12 years old
• Schedule: National Championships run June 29–July 5, 2026, with tournament games including a Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and a Championship Game; select games are broadcast on CBS Sports Network and GameChanger on July 3–4, 2026.
• Price: Nationals Qualifier events range from $475* to $2,795, depending on date and location, with specific 2026 qualifier entry fees listed as $1,255*, $955*, $495*, $1,495, $2,795, $495*, $595*, $1,995, $1,795, $1,795, $2,295, and $475*.
After 20+ years of tournaments, Ripken Baseball states that it is making history with Ripken Nationals and is on a mission to find the best 12U team in the country. The Ripken National Championships will host 16 teams that earned their way through specified qualifier pathways, and winners of Nationals Qualifier events receive free and automatic bids into the Ripken National Championships. Top 4 teams from pool play at the Cooperstown All Star Village Nationals Qualifier receive bids into the National Championships, and all teams at the main event are outfitted with official Gameday uniforms from partners at Under Armour.
The Ripken Nationals Qualifier Event Package includes a 4-game minimum with 3 pool play games, stat-keeping via GameChanger, tournament awards, and umpires and game balls provided. In these qualifiers, teams are placed in 4-team pools, each team plays 3 pool play games, and the top seed from each pool advances into a single-elimination playoff bracket, with the winner claiming a free bid to the Ripken National Championships scheduled for June 29–July 5. Real-time stats via GameChanger determine All-Tournament Team honors and MVP recognition, and champions at the National Championships will be the first to raise a one-of-a-kind, fully custom Ripken National Championships trophy. Ripken Baseball states that its mission is to provide ballplayers with an experience similar to what its founders had in the Big Leagues, and to provide players, coaches, and families with experiences and memories connected to the game.
Last updated May 26, 2026.
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