Fightins and Rip it Batting Cages Announce Baseballtown Baseball Classic

(Reading, PA) – The Reading Fightin Phils are excited to announce a new partnership with Rip It Batting Cages and Baseball Skill Training and the 2018 Baseballtown Baseball Classic.

The 2018 Baseballtown Baseball Classic will welcome the most amateur baseball games to America’s Classic Ballpark in the stadium’s long history! The collection of games will be known as the 2018 Baseballtown Baseball Classic, and will give the Citizens of Baseballtown an unprecedented opportunity to not only enjoy 70 Fightins home games, but also many terrific amateur games at the historic ballpark. Thanks to Rip It’s sponsorship, the Fightins will host the following amateur baseball games at FirstEnergy Stadium:

• Wilson High School vs. Governor Mifflin High School – Sunday, April 29th at 6:00pm
• Albright College vs. Kutztown University, Date TBD
• Baseballtown BCIAA High School Semi-Finals (2) – Tuesday, May 15th
• Baseballtown BCIAA High School Championship – Thursday, May 17th
• PIAA District 3 High School Championship Games – Thursday, May 31st
• Baseballtown High School All Star Game, Date TBD
• Additional High School Game Dates are Available!
• More game dates will be announced at a later time.

The most exciting aspect about Rip It’s sponsorship is that it gives additional area high schools the opportunity to play at America’s Classic Ballpark! The high school games are designed to be a gathering for the two competing towns, as is the case with the Wilson vs. Governor Mifflin game on April 29th. In that example, both the Wilson Youth Baseball and Softball program, and the Mifflin Area Youth Baseball Association, have partnered for what guarantees to be an amazing event. Before the high school game, every youth baseball player in the Mifflin Youth Baseball program, along with every member of the Governor Mifflin Middle School and High School teams (Freshman, JV and Varsity) will be introduced on the field. Following that, every youth baseball and softball player in the Wilson Youth Baseball and Softball program, along with every member of the Wilson West Middle School, Wilson Southern Middle School and Wilson High School baseball and softball teams (Freshman, JV and Varsity) will be introduced on the field. In addition, both the Mifflin Area Youth Baseball Association and the Wilson Youth Baseball and Softball Program will host their player photo sessions at FirstEnergy Stadium that day. The event guarantees that every baseball and softball player from both school districts will be introduced, and then watch the Wilson High School vs. Governor Mifflin High School baseball game that evening. Other area High School baseball teams, and youth organizations, are encouraged to contact Stephen Thomas at the Reading Fightin Phils to schedule their High School game, and youth photo day! Stephen can be reached at sthomas@fightins.com, or at 610-370-BALL, ext. 213. A limited number of game dates are still available, and Rip It Batting Cages and Baseball Skill Training underwrites much of the cost.

“We can’t thank Rip It Batting Cages and Baseball Skill Training enough”, said Scott Hunsicker, General Manager of the Reading Fightin Phils. “Thanks to their sponsorship, the 2018 Baseballtown Baseball Classic looks to welcome literally thousands of high school and youth baseball and softball players to FirstEnergy Stadium. We have this wonderful baseball facility, and the thought was how we can open the field up to even more area baseball and softball players. We sincerely hope many more high schools and youth baseball and softball programs will partner together, like Wilson and Mifflin have.”

Rip It Batting Cages and Baseball Skill Training is located at 1037 MacArthur Road in Reading, PA, near Reading Airport (it is the former home of Grand Slam USA). The facility is owned and operated by Mike Spidale and Eric Valent, two Baseballtown Hall of Famers who played for the Reading Fightin Phils. As part of Rip It’s sponsorship of the 2018 Baseballtown Baseball Classic, youth baseball and softball players that attend the games will also receive free hitting tokens for the Rip It batting cages. More information about Rip It Batting Cages and Baseball Skill Training can be found at ripit.org.

America’s Classic Ballpark is proud to be a part of Pennsylvania’s Americana Region. Season tickets for the 2018 season are available online at Fightins.com, by phone at 610-370-BALL, and in-person at FirstEnergy Stadium. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter at @ReadingFightins and like them on Facebook via www.facebook.com/fightins.