Farmville, get ready to be in the spotlight again.

The 2017 Big South Softball Championship will make its inaugural stop at Longwood University this week, starting Wednesday and running through Sunday.

Though on a much different scale than October’s U.S Vice Presidential Debate, this event affords an opportunity for visitors to learn and fall in love with Farmville, Prince Edward County, Longwood and the Heart of Virginia — along with its people, history and heritage.

We’re excited to have the ball players, coaches, fans, family members and other visitors here with us for the next few days.

On behalf of the community, we welcome you to the Heart of Virginia.

“One of the benefits to being in (a) conference is moments like this where we can showcase our campus and the town, really,” Longwood Director of Athletics Troy Austin said in an October interview with The Herald. “And of all of our programs, the softball program definitely has earned that right.”

We couldn’t agree more with him. Longwood’s softball program has certainly earned this opportunity — just as the entire institution has.

The Longwood softball team has earned a high profile within the Big South Conference after winning the conference tourney in three out of its four seasons in the league.

The Town of Farmville has also earned the right to host an event of this magnitude. Town leaders clearly understand what the impact of this week’s tourney may bring.

“I know it’s going to fill up the hotels and help all of the businesses downtown,” Town Manager Gerald Spates said. “Anything we can do to bring attention to Longwood and the community is a great thing for all of us.”