Competitive, Intense, and Coming to St. Louis in 2025

If you think baseball is exciting, just wait until you see a beep baseball game. This high-speed, high-stakes sport is played by athletes who are blind or visually impaired—and it’s one of the most intense and competitive games you’ll ever witness.

In beep baseball, also known as BeepBall, players dive for beeping balls, sprint toward buzzing bases, and make jaw-dropping plays using only their hearing, coordination, and instincts. And this summer, the best BeepBall teams in the world will be battling it out right here in St. Louis, when the 2025 National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA) World Series rolls into town July 20–26.

What Makes BeepBall So Cool?

Let’s break it down. BeepBall takes the strategy and teamwork of traditional baseball and adds a level of intensity you have to experience to believe.

• The ball beeps so fielders can track it by sound.

• The bases buzz, and there are only two—first and third.

• Fielders and batters wear blindfolds, even if they have some vision, to keep the playing field level.

A player wearing a blindfold waits for the pitch during the Gateway Archers’ BeepBall batting practice. (Photo from MindsEye.)

BeepBall Basics

Offense

• The pitcher and catcher are sighted offensive players working with the batter to make contact. (Like coach-pitch, the pitcher wants the player to get a hit.) The batter has four strikes before they’re out.
• When the batter hits the ball, they have to listen for which base (first or third) is buzzing to determine which they need to make it to. This is random and controlled by an official.

Defense

• When the ball is hit, fielders race to find and stop the ball before the batter makes it to the base.

Scoring and Outs

• If the fielders get control of the ball and hold it up before the batter makes it to the base, the batter is out. (This is called a putout.)
• If the batter makes it to the base first, they score a run.
• The ball must be hit beyond 40 feet to be in play. If it’s hit past 170 feet, it is a homerun!

Rare play

• A few times, very lucky fielders have made a catch before the ball reaches the ground (what would be a flyout in baseball). When this happens it ends the half inning, no matter how many outs the offense has remaining.

Field

The field is similar to baseball, but with only two bases that are outside the foul lines to avoid collisions between batters and fielders running at top speed. There are six players on defense who are aided by sighted spotters that can give one number (associated with pre-determined zones of the field) to guide fielders in the general direction of the ball as it’s hit.

Here’s what it looks like:

Being a sighted spectator at a BeepBall game is its own test. You’ve got to stay quiet during play—no matter how exciting it is—so players can hear the ball, bases, and each other.

It’s fast-paced and no joke when it comes to athleticism. Whether a base runner or fielder, players use their whole body in this game. Trained, focused, and competitive, they’re here to win.

Check out this video of a game featuring the Gateway Archers:

The 2025 NBBA World Series Is Coming to St. Louis

For one week in July, the top BeepBall teams from around the country (and the world!) will descend on St. Louis for the 2025 NBBA World Series, hosted by MindsEye and Lighthouse for the Blind – St. Louis.

You’ll see incredible matchups, fierce rivalries, and unbelievable plays—all happening right here in our backyard from July 20 to July 26. And the best part? St. Louis’s own Gateway Archers are the host team.

Meet the Gateway Archers: Ready for Victory

The Gateway Archers are one of the toughest teams in the league. They made it all the way to the championship game in 2024—and they’re coming back in 2025 with one goal: take home the trophy.

With home-field advantage and a hunger to win, this is the team to watch. If you want to get behind a team with serious grit, the Archers are it.

Benji Molina and members of the Gateway Archers at the 2024 Beep Baseball World Series. Benji threw out the first pitch of the championship game. (Photo from MindsEye.)

Be Part of the Action

BeepBall isn’t just an adaptive sport—it’s a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat experience. This is your chance to see elite athletes in action and discover one of sport’s best-kept secrets (#IYKYK).

Follow MindsEye on Facebook or check the NBBA website for schedules, game times, and volunteer opportunities—and come (quietly) cheer on the Gateway Archers as they make their run for the championship!