BusinessTN

Tennessee has long been a robust environment for minor league baseball teams; at current count, there are nine minor league teams spread throughout the state.

In December, the men got some company when National Professional Fastpitch (NPF) announced the formation of the Tennessee Diamonds, the newest addition to women's professional softball. The Diamonds will take the field in East Tennessee's Blount County this June.

In truth, the Diamonds are not so much new as they are a rebirth of a previous franchise -- and the league champion, at that. Good timing and investor interest allowed for the purchase and rebranding of the Rockford Thunder, last year's championship winner, when it folded.

"It's a case where you get a foot in the door and fall into a pot of gold," says Diamond's general manager, Sarah Fekete, a former Philadelphia Force player and UT Lady Vols softball All-American.

The team received right of first refusal to the Thunder roster, securing elite players like Cat Osterman.

"It's comparable to seeing Serena Williams play tennis -- that's Cat Osterman on the mound," Fekete says.

Unfortunately, women's fast-pitch softball doesn't enjoy the same level of popularity as Williams' sport. The league, which had six teams in 2008, is down to four (counting the Diamonds).

Nonetheless, the Diamonds represent a ownership model and recruitment strategy that has league officials optimistic for the future.

The league recently converted from a single owner model to an individual franchise and limited partnership model.

"The Diamonds are really the beginning of a new era for us -- trite as it may seem -- in qualifying owners," says league commissioner, Cheri Kempf.

Looking forward, Kempf says she plans to "add teams with the type of quality ownership that can financially support a franchise. In the past, that’s been the Achilles' heel of the league."

In the league's continued existence there may be more at stake for the sport than just the success or failure of a fledgling business. After the recent ousting of women's softball from the Olympic Games, NPF represents one of the few arenas for post-collegiate support and exposure. Fortunately, the league is not completely on its own, partnering with Major League Baseball.

Both the Diamonds and NPF are counting on Tennessee to help boost fan base and long-term viability. Last October, NPF relocated its league headquarters to Nashville from Denver, Colo.

Thanks to nearby UT-Knoxville's women's softball program and athletics in general, "women’s sports are well supported in the region," says Bryan Daniels, vice president of economic development for the Blount County Chamber of Commerce.

A home within the tourism-driven Smoky Mountains economy won't hurt, either. "We’re not in a competing market like a lot of other teams in metro areas," Fekete says.

With an average game attendance of 800 to 1,000 fans, Daniels and his colleagues see plenty of upside for the region, as well.

"We'll see an upswing in our lodging and commercial retail trades from people attending games who may stay the weekend," Daniels says.

Additionally, a new Ripken Design sports complex in Blount County, set to move forward this year, could become a permanent home. Hired by Baseball LLC, the design firm owned by baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. estimates the slated stadium's impact at $20 million in the first year.

It remains to be seen whether the Southeastern Conference is the Promised Land for which NFP and team officials are searching. But given the region's robust tradition of support for women's sports, it's certainly a good place to start.