Abbotsford has won the right to host the 2012 Senior B Western Canadian Fastpitch Championships for men and women.
Harv Wiens, a member of the bid committee, confirmed that Abbotsford won a vote at the Softball B.C. annual general meeting last weekend, defeating a bid from Nanaimo.
"An event of this magnitude, for Abbotsford and the minor ball program, is huge," Wiens said. "We haven't anything close to a national event here since the mid-1980s, when we hosted junior nationals.
"Hopefully it's going to be huge for the game in this area. We're trying to get more kids involved, and try to create some awareness."
The event will feature eight men's and eight women's teams from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, and will run Aug. 16-19 at Exhibition Park.
Both the men's and women's draws will feature a team from Abbotsford – the top local finisher at provincials will receive a host berth.
The committee is beginning the process of lining up sponsors and volunteers. For more information, email westerns2012@gmail.com.