Nothing in this sport is financially "worth the cost" if you strictly look at the college scholarship aspect. The prudent financial decision would be to take all the money you spend on softball and put it in a 529 account and then she could go to college anywhere she wants but we do this for reasons other than sound financial ones. It's about the experiences and the bonds we create with our DD's that could never happen without participating in this sport. One can easily Google hotel costs and food costs so I know your question was deeper than that. Bottom line, if you go, go for the memories, not for the return on investment. Your DD will never forget going to Cali to play ball so it's 'up to you to figure out if the memories are worth the cost.
this is well said and should really be a the first thing anyone reads on having their dd play softball. this is all about memories, not ever making up the cost in some way.