Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Wildcat baseball team members practice their tarp-crew skills before the 2018 MLB Little League Classic, played at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field.
As part of an ongoing collaborative effort by Major League Baseball, the City of Williamsport and Pennsylvania College of Technology, the college’s Wildcat Club supporters have stepped up to the plate to support the cost of essential field resurfacing at Williamsport's Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field.
The work at the nearly century-old ballpark – which was contracted in mid-September by Major League Baseball to meet the competitive standards for professional baseball – was performed recently by veteran sports turf consultants and agronomists at Brightview.
The timely completion of the resurfacing work will help to ensure playability at the ballpark for a variety of upcoming baseball activities, including next year’s Draft League for the Williamsport Crosscutters, home games and practices for the Wildcats’ Spring 2024 campaign, and the 2024 MLB Little League Classic between the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers on Sunday, Aug. 18.
The Wildcat Club contribution to baseball-specific facilities at Bowman Field, which is in addition to the investment made by Major League Baseball, is funded entirely by club supporters from the Williamsport community. These improvements will allow for continued access to this world-class diamond for Wildcat baseball NCAA Division III student-athletes – in 2024 and beyond as necessary.
No public funds – or funds from the college’s operating budget – have been expended for the improvements to the playing surface.
Members of the Penn College Wildcat baseball team prepare to roll out the tarp during this 2018 practice session at Bowman Field prior to the playing of the MLB Little League Classic.
Since its inception in 2017, the MLB Little League Classic has afforded Penn College student-athletes the opportunity to serve as the game’s MLB-trained “tarp crew.” Additionally, students in the college’s hands-on academic programs – from culinary and hospitality to emergency services – get to hone their skills in a real-world learning experience for yet another world-class sporting event, as they have for many years at the Kentucky Derby and the Little League World Series.
The game, part of a daylong celebration of baseball at the Little League World Series, expands access to the game to the next generation of baseball players and fans, even as the global broadcast draws attention to city and regional businesses, an increasingly robust tourism industry in a beautiful river valley, innovative colleges and health systems, and the general quality of life in Williamsport and the region.
Wildcat Club contributions from alumni, corporate partners, parents and friends provide program support for Penn College’s teams, enhance athletic facilities, enable multiday travel and attract competitive student-athletes.
With the vital support of the club’s donors, Penn College continues to make upgrades and engage in key partnerships like the one at Historic Bowman Field to ensure athletic facilities are safe, playable and proximate to classes and labs for the college’s approximately 300 student-athletes and 16 intercollegiate teams, 14 of which are NCAA-sponsored sports.
For more about the college, a special mission affiliate of Penn State and a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
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