The tournament is bringing its biggest impact yet, drawing over 1,600 athletes and generating more than $1 million dollars in economic impact for Corpus Christi.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — For the third year in a row, the Jose Trevino World Series officially kicked off Friday morning with batting practice aboard the USS Lexington, bringing together young athletes from across the Coastal Bend and beyond.

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Organizers say more than 1,600 athletes are participating in the four-day tournament, with 55% traveling from outside the area, a major boost during what is typically a low-tourism season.

MLB catcher Jose Trevino with the Cincinnati Reds, said returning home to host the event remains one of his favorite parts of the year.

“It’s been a dream of mine, you know, and to take BP off a boat, you know, hit it in the water, it’s pretty cool,” Trevino said.

Trevino added that he hopes the weekend inspires the next generation of players.

“Just trying to help kids realize that their, their dreams are attainable, you know, if I did it, they could definitely do it,” Trevino said. “There’s a lot of hard work, dedication, and a lot of that stuff that goes into it but trying to show these kids that it is reachable, it is attainable.”

L’Erin Hampton with 24 Sports, who helped organize the event, said Trevino’s goal has always been to create one-of-a-kind opportunities for young athletes.

“His legacy is all about dreaming big, right, and being involved in the community,” Hampton said. “Being able to give kids something that they probably would never ever get… bringing the dream from up here and bringing it down to the ground level so the kids can experience something pretty amazing and realize possibilities.”

The tournament’s economic impact and participation rate has risen each year since its start.

Visit Corpus Christi’s America Segura said the event generated just over $200,000 in economic impact during its first year in 2023. That number climbed above $600,000 in 2024 and now exceeds $1 million for 2025.

“This year we are seeing over 1600 participants. Fifty-five percent of that is out-of-town visitation,” Segura said.

That’s an increase from last year’s 48% out-of-town participation, marking steady growth for both the tournament and the region’s tourism economy.

Trevino said he hopes the series continues to expand and showcase what Corpus Christi has to offer.

“For me, one of the best cities in the country,” Trevino said. “We need to be able to bring more baseball down here… the competition is good enough, and we have everything we need here. We have hotels, we have food, like I said, the water, it’s a beautiful city, so I would love for more people to come down here and play.”

This weekend marks the start of back-to-back events celebrating community, Corpus Christi pride and a shared love of baseball.

Organizers are also encouraging attendees to bring toys for Jose Trevino’s Toy Drive, benefiting Operation Once in a Lifetime, which supports military families.