Miracle Game Day Volunteer Awarded Scholarship

The Fort Myers Miracle are proud to announce that Rebecca Garcia has been awarded the Florida Marlins / Florida State League scholarship. Each year the Miracle and the 11 other teams in the Florida State League partner with the Florida Marlins and award one deserving person from each club a $1,500 educational scholarship.

Garcia, a Fort Lauderdale native, is currently a senior at Florida Gulf Coast University and slated to graduate in December, with a degree in Sports Management and Marketing. She is in her first summer as a game day volunteer with the Miracle, learning the finer points of the team’s extensive game day operations. She also has been very active in the nightly operation of the team’s merchandise shop.

“Rebecca is a fine representative of our strong game day volunteer group this season. She has taken on many roles and has been eager to learn about the business side of minor league baseball,” said Miracle General Manager Steve Gliner. “We feel she is a deserving recipient and I know she will use it to further her major.”

The Florida Marlins have sponsored the program with the Florida State League the past 11 years through their Community Foundation and the Executive Director, Nancy Olson. The foundation has now contributed $95,000 to this program.

The award is based both on financial need and grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be a member of the team’s gameday operations team, an employee of, or the child or grandchild of an employee of the participating club during the 2010 Florida State League Season, and must be at least a high school junior by the 2010 Fall Term.

“I have learned so much this summer. I can’t even begin to describe my experience and all the knowledge I have gained from the Miracle staff”, said Garcia.

League President Chuck Murphy stated; “This program is one of the best things we do in this League and I congratulate the General Managers on their dedication and emphasis in administering this program. The purpose of the program is to send a message that an education is key to success in life.”

Gwinnett Braves take a break at Eagle Ranch

Gwinnett Braves players took a time off from baseball Monday for fishing and fellowship with the youngsters at Eagle Ranch children’s home in Hall County.

The players joined the youngsters at Eagle Ranch’s 10-acre lake, enjoying the surprisingly cool and overcast weather. Pitcher Todd Redmond took rod and reel in hand and said the fishing and meeting the young residents was a welcome break from the mound.

“Any time you get out and fish is a fun time, especially coming out and fishing with the kids,” Redmond said. “It helps everybody, it helps get my mind off baseball and helps the kids more than anything.”

Eagle Ranch girls had an arts and crafts session with wives and family members of some of the players during the once a year visit. Wes Timmons, Matt Young, Cory Gearrin, Vladimir Nunez and Scott Proctor were other Gwinnett Braves players who came out to visit.

Eagle Ranch assistant councilor Greg Owens said the visit was about relationship building, and building character.

“A lot of the stuff we work on is building character through sports and participation and team activities,” Owens said.

Owens said around 64 boys and girls from eight to 18 years of age now reside at the ranch, set up in 1985 on a 270 campus in south Hall County to provide help to children in crisis with counseling and education.

Link to original story by Jerry Gunn.

Gwinnett Braves players join the youngsters at Eagle Ranch’s 10-acre lake

Gwinnett Braves Announce Grant Program

The Gwinnett Braves Division of the Atlanta Braves Foundation will begin awarding monthly grants to local non-profits in August. The winner of each month will receive a $1,000 grant, 50 tickets to a Gwinnett Braves game, a concourse table at a Gwinnett Braves game and a check presentation. Each non-profit that submits an application will receive 20 tickets to a Gwinnett Braves game.

“We are pleased to present the Gwinnett Braves Grant Program to the community as it is a multi-faceted program that gives all organizations an opportunity to apply and win one of our monthly grants,” said Gwinnett Braves GM North Johnson. “Gwinnett and our surrounding counties have been extremely good to our organization and we are excited to give back to this wonderful community. I look forward to reviewing the applications and awarding our first winner in August.”

Each month features a different theme and organizations may apply for more than one month and area of giving. Below is a list of the monthly themes:

January: I Have a Dream – Organizations that grant wishes, dreams and opportunities for the youth, elderly, injured or sick.
February: Heart Month – Organizations that bring awareness and/or raise funds for heart related diseases and illnesses or that promotes a healthy diet and fitness programs for children.
March: Salute to the Arts – Organizations that support art programs or education.
April: Take Me Out to the Ballgame – Organizations that promote youth athletics or activities.
May: Cancer Awareness – Organizations that bring awareness to cancer prevention/detection or that raise funds for cancer research.
June: Summer Safety – Organizations that fund or run safety programs for children.
July: Red, White and Blue – Organizations that support the military or military families.
August: Back to School – Organizations that support education or after school/mentoring programs.
September: All About Kids – Organizations that benefit children.
October: Four Legged Friends – Organizations that benefit animals.
November: Thanksgiving – Organizations that work to end hunger and/or homelessness, that support children and families that are homeless or that run and maintain a food bank.
December: Season of Giving – Any organization that benefits youth, education or sports programming may apply.

Non-profits that wish to apply can download the Gwinnett Braves Grant Application at gwinnettbraves.com.

The Gwinnett Braves operate under the Atlanta Braves Foundation and specifically focus on those organizations in Gwinnett and its surrounding counties. Through the foundation, the team is dedicated to providing social, educational and scholarship opportunities for the youth in our surrounding communities in connection with the activities of the Gwinnett Braves baseball club. Gwinnett Daily Post Editor, Todd Cline, and Gwinnett Braves front office members North Johnson and Courtney Lawson, General Manager and Community and Public Affairs Manager, respectively, make up the grant selection board.

2010 Fisher Cats Foundation Scholar-Athletes Recognized June 4th

On Friday, June 4, 2010 the Fisher Cats Foundation awarded its annual Fisher Cats Foundation Scholar-Athlete Scholarships. Each year the foundation awards $2,500 scholarships to ten New Hampshire and two Massachusetts college-bound students. The twelve scholar-athlete scholarship recipients are selected based upon their academic success, athletic achievement and active citizenship.

The 2010 recipients and their families were invited out to the Fisher Cats game where they were recognized down on the field before the game. Fisher Cats President, Rick Brenner, presented each the Fisher Cats Foundation Scholar-Athlete with a certificate as his/her name was being announced.

After the pre-game ceremonies the scholar-athletes and their families were treated to a barbeque buffet out in left field in the Poultry Products Dinner in the Den, where they had the opportunity to meet members of the Fisher Cats Foundation as well as past scholarship winners.

“The Fisher Cats would like to congratulate the 2010 Fisher Cats Foundation Scholar-Athletes and their families,” said Fisher Cats President, Rick Brenner. “We would also like to thank all those who support the Fisher Cats Foundation and their continued efforts in making this night possible.”

Since 2007, the Fisher Cats Foundation has awarded over $110,000 in scholarships.

Fisher Cats President Rick Brenner with the 2010 Fisher Cats Foundation Scholar-Athletes

Students “Go Nuts for Reading!”

In the Flying Squirrels Inaugural Season, we also launched our inaugural reading program, “Go Nuts for Reading!”. Elementary school students throughout the Greater Richmond Area participated by reading eight books over two months to earn a ticket to a Flying Squirrels game this past spring. While at the game, students were recognized by participating in a pre-game parade around the warning track led by Nutzy!

To encourage the children to read, Nutzy and his friends went out to the schools and put on assemblies talking to the students about the benefits of reading, our reading program and Nutzy even acted out “Casey at the Bat”! The classroom that read the most books total from each school district was rewarded with a pizza party and visited by a Flying Squirrels player and Nutzy!

In our first year, over 32,100 students participated within nine school districts!

Nutzy and kids after on-field parade to celebrate reading program
Nutzy at a reading assembly acting out “Casey at the Bat.”

CPR “Certified” Fun at The Diamond!

On Saturday, May 29, the Richmond Flying Squirrels teamed up with the Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross for CPR Grand Slam!  Residents in the Greater Richmond area took an online class and then finished their CPR certification training in the outfield at The Diamond! Participants were greeted by Nutzy as they checked in, then taken down on to the field to finish training.  Once the course was completed, the newly certified patrons earned a ticket to that night’s Squirrels game and were recognized for attending the life saving training! The youngest participant certified was 13 years old–he tossed out the ceremonial first pitch!

Red Cross CPR training on the outfield
Nutzy and our first pitch winner after completing CPR training at only 13!

BANDITS AWARD INAUGURAL KEITH LUCIER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

In a moving ceremony during Saturday night’s River Bandits game at Modern Woodmen Park, Amanda Stahle was introduced as the recipient of the inaugural Keith Lucier Memorial Scholarship. Her first full year as a student at the University of Iowa will be funded by the Bandit Scholar Program when she embarks on her college career next fall in Iowa City.

Stahle, a senior at Bettendorf High School was selected from an impressive pool of applicants from the Quad Cities area that are planning on heading to Iowa for their college studies. Based on the application and interview process, conducted by a committee consisting of Keith’s family, friends and co-workers, it was determined that Stahle most exemplified the type of person that Lucier was. She is extremely active in education, athletics and community involvement. All qualities that were critical in selecting the ideal candidate for the scholarship.

“On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to sincerely congratulate Amanda on winning this scholarship,” said Bandits owner Dave Heller. “She is a young lady very deserving of this scholarship for all that she does in the community and her dedication to bettering herself through education. I have no doubt that success lies in Amanda’s future and we are delighted that we can help through the Bandit Scholars program.”

This year’s scholarship reflects the beginning of the Bandit Scholars program. Bandit Scholars was founded by River Bandits owners Dave Heller and Bob Herrfeldt and it is funded by fan donations and fund-raising efforts by the River Bandits. The Lucier Scholarship is named for former River Bandit assistant general manager, Keith Lucier, who passed away suddenly in April, 2009 from a brain aneurysm. It is an annual scholarship that is designed to give a Scott County student free tuition for their first year of school at the University of Iowa and a summer internship with the River Bandits.

“We were searching for somebody that reflected who Keith was,” said River Bandits General Manager Kirk Goodman. “Based on Amanda’s application, we knew she was a strong contender for the scholarship. When we had the pleasure of speaking to her in person, there was no doubt in our mind that she was the ideal candidate to represent Keith and all he stood for as the recipient of the scholarship.”

Amanda Stahle of Bettendorf is the first recipient of the Keith Lucier Memorial Scholarship (Photo courtesy of Quad Cities River Bandits)

Bisons’ Adoption of Buffalo High School Baseball Program Enters Fourth Season

Led by team owners Bob and Mindy Rich, the Buffalo Bisons have extended their adoption of the City of Buffalo High School Baseball Program for a fourth season in 2010. The adoption will include 14 high schools –with the recent additions of Buffalo Early Middle College and Vocational and Performing Arts High School- and the continuation of the “Junior Bisons” summer team.

The Rich Foundation and the Buffalo Bisons officially adopted the City of Buffalo High School Baseball Program in April of 2007 as a commitment to assist in the revival and development of the city’s high school program. In the four years since, the Bisons have facilitated and assisted in the funding of the renovation of Johnnie B. Wiley Stadium, provided stipends for each school to hire assistant coaches and purchased extensive baseball equipment for schools that lacked even basic supplies.

The Bisons have also invited teams to use the faculties located at Coca-Cola Field, including the team’s indoor batting cages. Each year, the Bisons coaches and players have held one-day clinics for both the coaches and players of Buffalo high school teams.

One of the highlights of this adoption is the Junior Bisons. Each year, around 18 players are selected from the 14 Buffalo public high schools for a team that competes in the scholastic division of the CEBA -the County of Erie Baseball Association. The team has made the post season in each of the past two seasons. Two former Junior Bisons are currently playing baseball at the collegiate level.

With the growing interest this adoption has created, the Bisons have also found it necessary to be active in Buffalo middle schools as well. In 2008, the Bisons assisted in the forming of the Buffalo Middle School Developmental Fall Baseball Program where three to four teams (60 total students) are formed from area seventh and eighth grade students. The season is run at no-cost to the players and is the first of its kind in the city of Buffalo. This league focuses on skill development, sportsmanship and team building.

Bisons adopt Buffalo Public School baseball program on April 23,2007. Pictured are Mindy Rich (far left), Bob Rich (second in from right) and Dave Thomas (far right), Athletic Director, City of Buffalo Public High Schools (now retired). (Photo by James P. McCoy Buffalo News staff photographer)

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE PARTNERS WITH MARLINS TO AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS

For the past 11 years the Florida Marlins and the Florida State League have paired up to fund the Florida State League Scholarship Program. The purpose of the program is to encourage and reward school-aged applicants with $1,500 scholarships, sending them a message that education is the key to success in life. Since the inception of the program, over a 120 scholarships have been awarded. If you would like to donate to the Florida State League Scholarships please call 305-623-6497.

“The scholarship that I received last summer has meant a lot to me. It helped me pay for much more of my tuition last semester than I would normally be able to pay. Since I was fortunate enough to receive this award, I have been able to focus on my classes and not worry so much about my financial status as a student.”– Cory Wilder, Jupiter Hammerheads FSL Scholarship Winner

Winning the award before heading off to college was a great way to end my high school career and look forward to the future. I felt very welcomed by the Florida Marlins Community Foundation and the Florida State League organizations upon receiving the award and appreciate what they have done for the community and myself.”– Michael Maggio, Tampa Yankees FSL Scholarship Winner

“The Florida State League scholarship was a huge accomplishment for me. The scholarship allowed me the opportunity to begin graduate school and work towards a master’s degree in Sports Administration. I am so thankful to the Florida State League offices and the Florida Marlins Community Foundation for allowing me this opportunity.”– Adam Vilk, Palm Beach Cardinals FSL Scholarship Winner

Mascot Musical Teaches Students

The Indianapolis Indians are proud to announce that their mascot Rowdie, along with a team of actors from the Actors Theatre of Indiana, is currently participating in the second season of the educational program “Rowdie: Home Run for Health”.

The play is designed to entertain and educate elementary school students on the “bases” of scoring a healthy home run in the game of life. The play’s script pays special attention to three key areas of a healthy lifestyle: nutrition, exercise and personal hygiene.

Indianapolis Indians Community Relations Manager Ryan Bowman expressed that the play acts as an add-on for the information students are already learning.

“Rowdie: Home Run for Health was started to reinforce the healthy lifestyle lessons taught in our local elementary schools. We are extremely excited to work with the Actors Theatre of Indiana in the development of such a fantastic learning mechanism for young students.”

This program evolved due to the need for improved awareness of childhood obesity. After speaking with local elementary school officials and parents, the staff behind the play learned that many school districts rated child obesity as their biggest challenge to overcome in their schools.

The 25-minute play plans to journey to more than 30 Indianapolis-area schools, with the final performance to be held on Thursday, April 1. Aside from a free viewing of the show, each student also receives a multi-page Rowdie Fun & Fitness Activity Book filled with great activities and games promoting the play’s message of a healthy lifestyle.

The show itself includes a hand-created Victory Field backdrop accompanied with its very own flip down food pyramid. The play also features many baseball themed song and dance routines such as “Food for Thought” and “Let’s Get Some Exercise”.

‘Birds Unveil 2010 Hit the Books Program

The Delmarva Shorebirds have teamed up with Sylvan Learning Center and Farmers Bank of Willards to kick off the 2010 “Hit the Books” Reading Program. The “Hit the Books” Reading program is designed to promote reading outside the classroom. Participating students are asked to read four books of their choice and track their progress on the official “Hit the Books” bookmark given to all students. Each book completed gets them to the next base and when they hit their homerun they are rewarded with two complimentary tickets to a Shorebirds game and the chance to set foot on the field and represent their school in a pre-game parade with Sherman.

“We’re proud to participate in this year’s reading program. Sylvan and “Hit the Books” are a good match because we have a common goal- to reach as many students as possible across the Eastern Shore and get them excited about reading. We look forward to recognizing their hard work and achievement at the Perdue Stadium this spring, and we hope the Delmarva community will join us in honoring these great readers as well,” said Becky Grinath, Director, Sylvan Learning Center.

Chris Davis, President of Farmers Bank of Willards also stated, “Hit the Books is a great program, and we are proud to be a sponsor in 2010. This program gives us the opportunity to give back and thank the community for its overwhelming support of the Farmers Bank of Willards. It’s the perfect partnership for a community bank that’s celebrating its 85 years in business and our local students who are the future leaders for our community.”

This season, the “Hit the Books” program will reach more than 45,000 students from 121 schools across the Eastern Shore. To accommodate the growing number of students who complete the program each year, the Shorebirds have added two additional dates, raising the total from six in 2009 to eight in 2010.

“As an organization, we take a lot of pride in our “Hit the Books” program. It is an excellent community outreach program and it is wonderful that we have the opportunity to get such a large number of young students involved in this educational program,” General Manager, Chris Bitters stated. “We are very much looking forward to rewarding all the fine young men and women that completes the program this season with an exciting evening at the ballpark!”

Blue Rocks Donate Nearly Half a Million for Local Causes

The Wilmington Blue Rocks proudly announce that the 2009 season saw the team, in tandem with its marketing partners and fans, donate and raise $424,000 worth of contributions to local charities, schools and community organizations. The sum represents a collective of many different types of contributions with the majority coming from monetary and ticket donations.

“We take pride in being able to contribute at this level to youth and charitable organizations in the greater Wilmington area,” said Blue Rocks general manager Chris Kemple. “I’m certain that we could not have done this without assistance from our 2009 marketing partners and fans that also played a large role in raising these funds.”

Blue Rocks concessionaire, Centerplate, allows community organizations the opportunity to volunteer at the concession stands during home games in return for a percentage of the money received at each stand. Thanks to this program almost $74,000 was given back to community organizations.

The Blue Rocks continue to support local youth baseball and donated over $1,600 as well as used baseball equipment to local Little League organizations.

Game-worn memorabilia auctions saw an increase in frequency and dollar amounts, helping to raise over $6,300. On April 19, the Blue Rocks wore purple hats to raise money for the Bernadette Farrell Memorial Fund as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Night. The Rocks sported pink jerseys on May 29 to benefit the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition.

The Rocks wore camouflage hats on May 30 and August 1 to raise money for Delaware Boots on the Ground and USO Delaware. On July 3, Wilmington donned patriotic jerseys to support United Cerebral Palsy of Delaware (UCP). The Rocks wore Red hats on June 25 to raise funds for the American Red Cross of the Delmarva Peninsula. The Rocks also sported gold jerseys on Aug. 13 for Elvis Night to benefit the local chapter of the American Lung Association. Blue Rocks players went beyond the laundry too, donating game-worn cleats and batting gloves that were auctioned off for charity.

Almost 60,000 tickets were distributed to area schools over the course of the season. Mascot Rocky Bluewinkle led the charge to promote literacy with

his Reading Challenge, presented by the Delaware State Education Association. The Blue Rocks worked with local schools to reward kids who met their reading goal. In 2009, over 150 area schools were awarded a total of 57,000 tickets. Along with Rocky’s Reading Challenge the Blue Rocks donated over 2,500 tickets through programs like the IFS Outstanding Students Program, which allows teachers to reward students who display excellence in behavior and performance in the classroom.

The team also donated over 8,000 tickets to community organizations throughout the 2009 campaign with 6,000 going to local fundraisers, 1,000 donated to the USO Delaware to use for their soldiers and staff, and the remainder finding a number of other local non-profit organizations in need. Those same non-profit groups received another $2,000 worth of free/discounted video board advertising and concourse tables to promote themselves and their worthy events.

The Blue Rocks organized special events to collect money and goods for those less fortunate. Before the season, the team held a gift drive for kids at the Mary Campbell Center. The team also offered ticket discounts to fans that donated items to the Food Bank of Delaware. The Blue Rocks Charity Golf Classic, held at Deerfield Golf and Tennis Club on Aug. 17, raised over $1,500 for UCP and CHILD, Inc. in one day.

Community appearances proved a regular item on the team’s calendar. Mascot Rocky Bluewinkle and numerous Blue Rocks players visited A.I. duPont Hospital for Children at least once a month throughout the season in addition to other appearances. Rocky logged over 60 community service hours at schools and charitable events as well. Rocks’ players put in over 20 hours despite their grueling 140-game schedule over five-plus months time. The Blue Rocks visited schools and community organizations throughout the Delaware Valley, tallying over 40 hours of their time throughout the season.

The K’s for Kids Program presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware (BCBSDE) completed its fourth season with great success. BCBSDE donated $10 to a local charity for every home game strikeout the Blue Rocks pitching staff recorded. Thanks to this program, BCBSDE presented Girls on the Run a check for $5,000 before the Blue Rocks game on Sept. 2.

Challenger Little League returned for its annual day of baseball on May 12. Teams from the league were able to play their games on Judy Johnson Field before the Rocks’ contest later that night in a tradition that has spanned over a decade.

During the last homestand of the regular season, the Wilmington police department collected donations for the daughter of a slain Georgetown police officer Chad Spicer. The generosity of Blue Rocks fans contributed over $5,000 to Aubrey Spicer’s trust fund.

Blue Rocks players (left to right) Clint Robinson, Adrian Ortiz and Ryan Eigsti joined with Rocky Bluewinkle for a visit at A.I. duPont Hospital during the season. (Brad Glazier)

Royals, Team’s Advertisers and Fans Aid Several Worthy Causes

The Omaha Royals increased their giving to local charities, community organizations and schools during the team’s 2009 season. The Royals, with the help of several of the team’s advertisers and its fans, donated more than $861,000 this season, mostly in the form of tickets and cash. That figure was up almost $40,000 from 2008.

“We continually talk about being engaged in the metro community and 2009 was again proof of our mission,” said Martie Cordaro, Royals Vice President/General Manager. “We are excited about what we have planned for 2010 and hope that new sponsors will join us so we can even further impact the community.”

Two season-long promotions generated over $11,000 in cash for two charities. The “Hurl the Pearl” promotion, presented by Nissan of Omaha and McDonald’s, raised almost $8,200 for the Ronald McDonald House. Werner Enterprises donated $2,870 to PlaySmart through its RBI promotion, in which the Royals’ 2009 presenting sponsor pledged $10 for each Royals RBI at home.

Once again in 2009, the Royals held silent auctions of various specially-designed jerseys and caps – autographed by the players who wore them –  during several home games. On June 6, an auction of baby blue jerseys and caps raised $2,155 for the Nebraska Colon Cancer Screening Program. The Royals wore red caps on June 27, with that auction and a $1 donation for every red item sold at the Royal Treasures Gift Shop netting $1,114 for the ALS Association. The fourth annual Strike Out Breast Cancer Night on August 7 featured an auction of pink jerseys and the sale of pink hats, providing $3,479 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. An auction of Royals black hats on August 28 raised almost $1,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, while a September 3 auction of baseball memorabilia generated over $1,400 toward the team’s $11,000 goal to support the AllPlay Foundation in 2010.

In 2009 the Royals donated thousands of tickets to their home games, with most of them being earned by school children through good work in the classroom. Almost 24,000 students from 74 area schools were encouraged to read books in exchange for tickets to Royals games in the Hit the Books program, which was presented by the Nebraska College Savings Program. Nearly 11,000 students from 70 area schools received tickets to the team’s April 20 game for the 10th annual Cox Communications Home Run for Youth Day. The Royals donated 25,000 Reserved Seat tickets for their August 8 game to the Omaha Public Library’s Summer Reading Program.  10,000 General Admission tickets went to the United Way for that organization to use as a “thank you” gift for their donors.  Also, businesses and season ticket holders donated over 2,800 Royals tickets to Baseball Buddies, with those tickets going to kids who normally wouldn’t be able to attend a game.

The team’s Community Organization of the Night program continued to grow in 2009. Partnering with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, the Royals provided over $53,000 worth of advertising, booth space and tickets to 72 non-profit groups and gave them a forum on-field and on the team’s game broadcasts to talk about those organizations’ work in the community.

Royals fans brought more than 2,200 cans and boxes of Our Family Brand food to Sunday home games, with all of it going to the Open Door Mission. In exchange, those fans received more than $15,000 worth of tickets.

The Royals staff, players and mascots were also busy away from the ballpark, with the staff giving more than 400 hours and the players and mascots chipping in over 200 hours to community service and appearances. On June 11 alone, Royals staff members committed more than 50 hours of community service, in honor of the team reaching the 11-million fan milestone earlier in the season. On August 22, a dozen staff members, family, partners from Lovgren Marketing Group and Casey took part in an ALS Walk at Elmwood Park, raising $4,500 in pledges. The team held its annual golf tournament on August 31 at Pacific Springs, raising more than $2,500 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in honor of Royals manager Mike Jirschele’s family.

Students get math lesson at ball park

Tuesday was a picture perfect day for a baseball game. The stands at Victory Field were nearly full for a rare 11 a.m. game. That’s because an estimated 13,000 students from across the state were invited to share in the fun.

St. Joan of Arc advanced math students scored a homerun getting to come to Victory Field but, they couldn’t just kick back, they had to compute.

“We have to write down their name and write what they do, like, if they get on base or if they get an out,” said seventh grader, Shani Ayers.

Brent Kahl is a St. Joan of Arc volunteer. He comes every other week to help students with advanced math activities. He’s been using an online curriculum designed by the Indianapolis Indians. The program is called, “Baseball in Education.”

“It’s a great way, I think, to put math in a real world setting and get a lot of fun out of it too,” said Kahl.

Indians Director of Marketing and Communications Chris Herndon said, “We make sure it meets the Indiana standards. There’s math activities and science activities — all that pertain to baseball.”

The Indians have partnered with the Indianapolis Public School District. The team donates thousands of tickets to the students each year. IUPUI is also a partner and underwrites tickets for students across the state.

But the most important numbers Tuesday: Indians 5, Syracuse 4.

Click on the play button to watch the report that aired on the local TV station:

This story by Leslie Olsen and the accompanying video first appeared on www.wishtv.com (Channel 8 CBS affiliate in Indianapolis, IN).  Click here for the original story

A Field of Dreams for Middle School Clubs

On Tuesday afternoon, two local middle school teams from Prince William County took to the field to live out one of their lifelong dreams of one day playing their favorite game on a professional baseball field.

That dream was realized when St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School took on Manassas Christian School in front of hundreds of family and friends from G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium, the home of the defending Carolina League champion Potomac Nationals.

As an added bonus, the participating players got to watch some of their favorite P-Nats players prior to their game as the Nationals hosted the Salem Red Sox in a Business Persons’ special that featured an 11:00 a.m. start time.

Aquinas jumped out to an early lead scoring a 1st inning run and the score would remain 1-0 until the bottom half of the 4th. The bats then came alive for Manassas Christian as they scored eight times in that frame and wound up pulling away with an 8-2 victory over their neighbors from Woodbridge.

In the end, the final score wasn’t the most important set of numbers that were posted on the scoreboard. As part of a fundraiser set up by each institution, the players involved sold a total of 250 tickets (125 each) to their loved ones so that they could share in the experience of seeing their sons and daughters play our national pastime on the same field where future Nationals’ all-stars are born.

The Potomac Nationals offer several ticket deals that accommodate groups of 20 or more. P-Nats Ticket Fundraisers are an excellent way to generate revenue for your non-profit organization. Organizations such as Little Leagues, civic organizations, churches, schools and charities will enjoy great benefits such as: video board and public address recognition, group names printed on tickets, and at least 50% profit on each ticket sold. For more information, call (703) 590-2311.

Regardless of the outcome, both teams were happy to play their favorite game at Pfitzner Stadium. (Potomac Nationals)