Passion for the game
Quality leagues and tournaments that give players a reason to look forward to the next game.
MARSHALLTOWN SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION
More than a game.
A Marshalltown tradition.
From summer league nights to championship weekends, MSA brings players, families, and fans together at the South 6th Street Complex.
47 Years
Softball at the complex · 1979–2026
Summer + Fall
Softball & kickball
Marshalltown
Community at our core
About Us
A place to compete.
A place to belong.
The Marshalltown Softball Association (MSA) is a nonprofit adult softball organization dedicated to providing competitive and recreational opportunities for the Marshalltown community. We offer multiple softball and kickball leagues throughout the week, along with weekend tournaments and special events that bring players, families, and the community together at the South 6th Street Complex.
Whether you’re a longtime player, a new team captain, or a fan cheering from the sidelines, there’s a place for you at the complex. Our leagues bring people together through friendly competition, teamwork, and a shared love of being on the field.
MSA has been a longstanding part of Marshalltown, providing organized softball opportunities for generations of players. Through the dedication of volunteers, board members, team managers, sponsors, and players, the association continues to build on that history while keeping the community connected through teamwork, sportsmanship, and a shared love for the game.
Proud to call Marshalltown home
Local roots.
Lasting connections.
MSA is part of the community beyond the ballpark, too. Our teams bring together neighbors, friends, coworkers, and families who share a connection to Marshalltown.
Every season adds new faces and new memories to a tradition built by the people who call this place home.
What we stand for
Good games. Great community.
Our mission is to provide a fun, organized, and competitive environment for adult softball players while promoting sportsmanship, community involvement, and a passion for the game. We strive to create an atmosphere where players of all skill levels can compete, connect, and enjoy being part of the local softball community.
Our values include a welcoming environment for different skill levels, positive experiences for players and spectators, and pride in maintaining quality leagues, tournaments, and facilities. Supporting the continued growth of adult softball in Marshalltown is part of carrying that mission forward.
Respect on every field
Sportsmanship, teamwork, and a welcoming experience for players, families, and spectators.
Community pride
Players, volunteers, and supporters working together to keep Marshalltown’s softball tradition going.
Get in the game
A league for your team.
Choose softball or kickball, gather your team, and make the complex part of your week. Visit each league page for details and check PlayMetrics for current schedules.
Summer Leagues
Coed Kickball →
Monday nights
Men’s 14″ Softball →
Tuesday nights
Women’s 11″ Softball →
Wednesday nights
Men’s 16″ Softball →
Thursday nights
Coed Softball →
Friday nights
Fall Leagues
14″ Softball →
Tuesday nights
Coed Kickball →
Thursday nights
Coed Softball →
Friday nights
Built by the softball community
Our home. Our history.
The South 6th Street Complex was constructed in 1977 and 1978 and opened in June 1979. In 2026, that marks 47 years of softball at the South 6th Street Complex, bringing generations of players, families, and fans together in Marshalltown. Built on a flood-control landfill site, it became a lasting home for softball through the support of the people who played here.
1977–1978
Construction transforms the site into a home for local softball.
June 1979
The complex opens, beginning decades of games and community memories.
1995
Marshalltown’s Carpet Country Rollers capture a national 16-inch championship.
Player contributions, donations, concessions, advertising, sponsorships, and gate receipts helped build and develop the facility without city funding. That community investment remains an important part of the complex’s story.
Read more about the complex’s softball tradition
Built through community support
The Marshalltown South 6th Street Softball Complex was constructed in 1977 and 1978 on the site of a flood-control landfill and officially opened in June 1979. The facility was built, and improvements have been supported, through player contributions, donations, concession revenue, advertising, sponsorships, and gate receipts.
No city funds were used to build or develop the complex. That history is a source of pride for the Marshalltown softball community and reflects the investment made by the people who played here, supported teams, and wanted to create a lasting home for the sport.
Generations of players and leagues
Since opening, the complex has served thousands of players and hosted more than 125 teams across multiple leagues. Over the years, Marshalltown has offered men’s, women’s, coed, youth, and even a popular “Midnight League.” Those programs helped make the fields a gathering place for competition, friendships, and community involvement.
The Marshalltown 16-inch softball league has long been recognized as one of the premier leagues in Iowa. That tradition connects local league play with the larger history of the game throughout the Midwest.
A “Field of Dreams”
The South 6th Street Complex is honored to be the first softball facility outside Illinois recognized as a “Field of Dreams” by the Chicago 16 Inch Softball Hall of Fame. The recognition reflects Marshalltown’s longstanding commitment to preserving and growing the unique tradition of 16-inch softball.
National championships and the Clincher Classic
The complex has hosted ten A.S.A. National 16-inch Championships and welcomed legendary teams including the Whips, Touch, Lettuce, Puglise, 45’s, and Flash. These events brought some of the best players in the country to Marshalltown and helped build the popularity of 16-inch softball throughout Iowa.
MSA also hosts the Clincher Classic, one of Iowa’s respected softball tournaments. The event attracts teams from Iowa and across the Midwest, including the Chicago area, and continues to showcase Marshalltown’s softball tradition.
Keeping the tradition going
The complex is operated and maintained by the Marshalltown Softball Association Board of Directors. Representing multiple leagues and divisions, the board oversees league operations, tournaments, facility improvements, and the continued growth of the sport in Marshalltown.
Volunteers, players, team managers, sponsors, and community supporters all have a part in that work. Their dedication keeps the complex connected to the people it serves and helps provide opportunities for the next generation of softball players.
A championship chapter
Carpet Country Rollers
A proud chapter in Marshalltown softball history · Click photo to enlarge
Formed in fall 1991 by Tim Walker and Brad Van Meter, the Carpet Country Rollers brought together players from successful Marshalltown teams with sponsorship from Carpet Country. They went on to compete with some of the country’s best 16-inch teams.
1995
National 16-Inch Softball Champions
A Marshalltown team. A seventh-inning comeback. A place in local softball history.
During Labor Day weekend in Mount Prospect, Illinois, the Rollers faced Prime Time in the deciding championship game. Down 5–2 with two outs in the top of the seventh, Marshalltown rallied for four runs, then retired Prime Time in order to win the national title.
Read the championship story
Building the Rollers
Few teams have left a bigger mark on Marshalltown softball history than the Carpet Country Rollers. The team formed in fall 1991 when Tim Walker and Brad Van Meter set out to build a team capable of competing at the highest level of 16-inch softball.
Drawing players from several successful Marshalltown teams and securing sponsorship from Carpet Country, the Rollers quickly became one of Iowa’s respected teams. Over the following seasons, they developed a reputation for toughness, teamwork, and commitment to the game.
The Rollers captured tournament championships across the Midwest and consistently competed against many of the best teams in the country. Their success set the stage for a defining moment during Labor Day weekend in 1995.
The national championship
At the National 16-Inch Softball Tournament in Mount Prospect, Illinois, Carpet Country battled through a highly competitive field to reach the National Championship against Prime Time.
In the deciding championship game, the Rollers trailed 5–2 with two outs in the top of the seventh inning. With Marshalltown down to its final out, a national title appeared to be slipping away.
Four runs with two outs
Instead, the Rollers put together a four-run rally. Clutch hits by Brian Keeney, Brad Van Meter, Mike McCune, Rick Barnes, Greg Van Cleave, and Craig Hughes fueled the comeback, turning a three-run deficit into a 6–5 Marshalltown lead.
The job still wasn’t finished. Prime Time had the bottom of the seventh to answer, but the Rollers retired them in order to secure the National Championship.
A lasting place in Marshalltown history
The victory remains one of the proudest accomplishments in Marshalltown softball history. It cemented the Carpet Country Rollers’ place among Iowa’s legendary 16-inch teams and showed the toughness and teamwork the team had built since its formation.
Many members went on to become Hall of Fame players and continued contributing to the sport for decades. The team’s success helped strengthen Marshalltown’s reputation as one of the country’s premier 16-inch softball communities.
The Rollers’ championship is an important chapter in MSA’s history, connecting the players and supporters who built that tradition with everyone who continues it at the complex today.
Our community
Teams Through the Years
Behind the scenes
People who keep us playing
Our board members, volunteers, team managers, sponsors, and players make MSA possible. Their time and support help keep leagues running and the complex ready for the next game.
MEET THE BOARD →Come see us
South 6th Street Complex
Complex address
901 S. 6th Street
Marshalltown, IA 50158
Mailing address
P.O. Box 1574
Marshalltown, IA 50158
Be part of the next chapter.
Put a team together, catch a tournament, or spend an evening cheering at the complex. We’ll see you at the ballpark.
EXPLORE TEAM REGISTRATION →Have photos from seasons past?
Help us share more of Marshalltown’s softball history! Email your old team photos, tournament pictures, or memories from the complex to Marshalltownsoftball@gmail.com. Include the team name, year or approximate year, and any details you remember. We’d love to add them to the website.
EMAIL YOUR PHOTOS →👀 ABOUT MSA • PAGE VISITS