Currently viewing the tag: "Frederick County Babe Ruth League"

Thurmont Babe Ruth Baseball finished an excellent spring 2023 season. The organization fielded a total of six teams among the 14U, 16U, and 18U divisions of the Frederick County Babe Ruth League.

In the 14U division, Thurmont had three teams with small but mighty rosters.  The Nationals, managed by Jeff Kuhn, had one of the youngest rosters in the league, but they held their own during the season. The Nationals finished with a record of 6-12-1. The Cougars, managed by Joe Wehage, were in contention near the top of the standings all season, finishing with a record of 12-5. The Thunder, managed by John Code, finished the regular season with a record of 16-2, good for second place out of the league’s 17 teams. The Thunder capped off the season by winning the end-of-season tournament, with three mercy rule victories to bring home the league banner. 

In the 16U division, Joe Wehage’s Crusaders finished in fourth place out of eight teams, with a record of 7-9. 

In the 18U Wood Bat division, Thurmont fielded a pair of teams, finishing in the top two spots in the final league standings. Joe Rizzo’s Expos had a record of 8-5 during the season. Tim Castellow’s Cougars finished at the top of the regular season standings, with a record of 10-2. The Cougars wrapped up the season by winning the end-of-season tournament and taking home another banner for Thurmont Babe Ruth.

Courtesy Photos

18U Cougars Team

14U Thunder Team

Thurmont Babe Ruth Baseball finished a successful fall season in the Frederick County Babe Ruth League. Their teams at all three age groups finished with winning records and made deep runs into their end-of-season playoff tournaments.

The 18U Thurmont Expos finished the regular season with a record of 8-6.  In the playoffs, the Expos upset the #1 seed Little Falls Varsity Battlers to reach the championship game, before falling to Frederick Post 11.

The 16U Thurmont Cougars finished their regular season in second place with an 11-6 record. The Cougars reached the semifinals of the playoffs, where they fell to Frederick Dirt Devils. 

The 14U Thurmont Thunder finished at the top of the league standings with a record of 15-3. They capped off the season by winning the playoff tournament and bringing home the championship banner.

16U Thurmont Cougars

14U Thurmont Thunder Courtesy Photos

Emmitsburg Baseball Celebrates 60th Anniversary  

Deb Spalding

60th Anniversary EBSLIn 1955, Articles of Incorporation for the Emmitsburg Little League stated the objective of the league to be, “to implant firmly in the boys of the community the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage and reverence so that they may be finer, stronger, and happier boys and will grow to be good, clean, healthy men.” The objectives were to have been achieved by providing supervised competitive baseball games. Since 1955, thousands of boys, and now girls, too, have been impacted in a positive way by this league.

According to a January 28, 1955 Emmitsburg Chronicle article, Paul Claypool was the organizing chairman of the project and the Emmitsburg Lions Club was the first sponsor of the league. Coaches slated that first season included James McKeon, Carlos Englar, Dr. John J. Dillon, Jr., and Prof. Paul Conway. Organizational contributors included Herbert W. Roger, George L. Wilhide, and John J. Hollinger. Additional team sponsors soon came forward.

Organizational officers were slated in June and included Guy R. McGlaughlin, president; Robert Daugherty, vice president; John J. Dillon, Jr., secretary; and J. Edward Houck, treasurer.

Opening day was held Tuesday, June 22, 1955 with Leonard Zimmerman’s Cards beating Jack Rosensteel’s Yankees 4-0. Emmitsburg’s Burgess,Thornton Rodgers tossed out the first ball.

The concession stand was built in 1975 and named Sayler’s Stand for former league president, Bob Sayler, who served food from the concession stand for thirty years. Sayler passed away in 1997 at the age of seventy-five.

The first girls to play in the league started to appear in the 1960s and 1970s. They were mixed in as members of the boys’ teams. Today, there are several girl’s teams ranging in age from 8-16. They play in the Frederick County Girls Softball League.

Former league president and long-time league volunteer, Mary Topper, said, “In 2004, the league decided to join a new league, the Mason Dixon League, which included Taneytown, Littlestown, and Charles Carroll. The reason for the change was the lack of boys teams in Emmitsburg. The officers thought it was good for the players from nine to twelve years to experience new competition. Our teams were very successful in this league.”

A few years later, the Emmitsburg Little League changed from little league to being independent and officially became the Emmitsburg Baseball and Softball League. At this time, teams went on to play in Pony league. Since 2009, teams have been playing in the Cal Ripken League because this league plays by rules used in major league and high school baseball.

Older boys, aged 13-19, currently play in the Frederick County Babe Ruth League. EBSL currently has two teams in the 13-15 league and one team in the 16-19 league.

EBSL has hosted the Frederick County Babe Ruth 13-15 year end-of-year tournament for the past two years under the leadership of Doug Wivell. Also, EBSL has hosted the State Tournament for Cal Ripken for the past three years, and the Emmitsburg 12U All Stars have won the Maryland state title three years in a row under the coaching of Dave Wantz III, Jimmy Click, and John Malachowski. They advanced to Waynesboro, Pennsylvania for the Regional Championships the first year and to New York the second year, then returned to Waynesboro again this year. The 12U Redsox were undefeated during this season.

Emmitsburg’s 12U girls softball team won first place in the silver division. The 15U girls came in second in their division. With success of the Mason-Dixon League, Emmitsburg will continue to play against other teams in Fairfield, Gettysburg, and Taneytown.

Past presidents include Guy McGlaughlin, Dr. William Cadle, Thomas Bollinger, Richard McCullough, Thomas “Tip” Harbaugh, Robert Sayler, Thomas Ryan, Roy Wivell, William Wivell, Lisa Krom, Dean Torgenson, Mary Topper, Brian Holt, Jeff Little, Brian Devilbiss, Jeff topper, and Tom Kelly.

The league would like to thank the town and the sponsors for their support. To volunteer on the board, serve as a coach, or become a sponsor, please email mltopper@msn.com.

CHS Sports Boosters to Hold Re-Dedication Ceremony

The Catoctin High School (CHS) Sports Boosters will hold a re-dedication ceremony of the memorials to former Catoctin athletes and fallen military heroes, 1Lt. Robert A. Seidel, III and LCpl. James Willard Higgins, Jr. prior to the Homecoming football game at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 25, 2015, in Cougar Stadium. The memorials have been completely restored in memory of Jeff Wivell, who was instrumental in the initial creation of the monument area.