Penn College prof to fulfill ‘dream’ with Challenger Game

Stephen R. Cheskiewicz won’t be on the field during championship weekend this August at the Little League Baseball World Series, but he might be more excited than those who will. The Pennsylvania College of Technology associate professor is a board member of the Wilkes-Barre-based program that will play in the Challenger Division Exhibition Game.

An annual highlight of the Little League World Series, the one-inning contest is a showcase for the Challenger Division, an adaptive baseball program for players with physical or intellectual disabilities. Cheskiewicz’s team, Wyoming Valley Challenger Baseball Little League, and its opponent – Woburn, Massachusetts – will represent the 950 Challenger programs and 30,000 players worldwide.

“It’s a dream come true. I attend the game each August and always envisioned our Wyoming Valley Challenger kids on that field,” said Cheskiewicz, who teaches computer information technology. “Our league has a great story, a story that helped us get this amazing invitation to play in the Challenger Exhibition Game.”

Cheskiewicz has been documenting the league’s story for the past six years as its communications officer. He and his partner, David, became involved with the Wyoming Valley program nine years ago after adopting their son, Michael. One of Michael’s life skills teachers recommended Challenger.

“Many of the players are segregated in their schools, and it’s hard for them to make friends, especially outside the special needs community. Challenger gives the players camaraderie, friendship and physical activity that they may not get anywhere else,” Cheskiewicz explained. “Parents of the players are always telling me that their child never smiles or looks forward to anything as much as when they are at a Challenger game.”

When they first joined Wyoming Valley Challenger, the program had just a couple dozen players and lacked a dedicated facility. In 2019, the City of Wilkes-Barre sparked the league’s growth by leasing a field to the Challenger program for $1 per year. That commitment led to tremendous community support, totaling over $200,000 in donations of cash, material, labor and equipment. Today, there are over 130 Challenger players in the Wyoming Valley playing on a field that some have dubbed “the jewel of Wilkes-Barre.”

Cheskiewicz has chronicled the league’s growth by taking countless pictures and sharing them on the program’s website and social media outlets. He provided his photo collection to Little League officials as part of Wyoming Valley’s application to appear in the Challenger Exhibition Game.

“I had taken photos of the renovation process at our field, the amazing work of many dedicated volunteers from our community, and most importantly, some of the truly memorable moments for our players and their smiles that would melt your heart,” Cheskiewicz said.

After four years of applying for the game, Cheskiewicz was informed by Little League in January that Wyoming Valley would play in the 2025 edition.

“Our families knew that I had been applying and sharing our story every year, but like myself, they expected it to take much longer for this dream to come true,” he said. “Once the players found out, it was pure joy. It was a magic moment for our amazing band of players to have this exceptional once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“Being selected to participate in the Little League Challenger Division Exhibition Game at the World Series each year is an opportunity that only two of our programs get to receive, and we work hard to ensure that both programs exemplify the mission of our organization and the inclusiveness that our Challenger Division is rooted in,” said Sam Ranck, Little League senior director of strategy and development. “Based on its application, Wyoming Valley Challenger Baseball Little League has proven itself as a worthy league to participate in this year’s event. We look forward to the players from both their league and from Woburn, Massachusetts, enjoying their time in Williamsport for this can’t-miss event.”

According to Cheskiewicz, the lone drawback of Wyoming Valley’s selection has been choosing a 15-person roster out of 130-plus players. The age range for the game is between 4 and 22 and all participants must commit to a busy four days in Williamsport. Those two factors helped reduce the number of eligible players, but Cheskiewicz called it a difficult process to determine the 15 who will take the field.

“We knew it was coming, and it was something that we prepared for,” he said. “We created a numbering system that included the candidates’ years of participation in the program and votes from board members to make the process fairer and more consistent. It worked. We have selected 15 truly amazing players.”

Cheskiewicz’s son, Michael, won’t be one of those players since he is 24 years old, but he will be part of what his dad hopes to be a large contingent of Wyoming Valley supporters at the game.

“We have watched videos of the past few games and noticed that the stadium was half to three-quarters full,” Cheskiewicz said. “Our goal is to have the first filled-to-capacity Challenger Exhibition Game!”

And Cheskiewicz will be there, grinning ear to ear.

“I always tell people that when I am at a Challenger game, I smile so much my face hurts,” he said.

The Challenger Division Exhibition Game is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 23 at Volunteer Stadium. The contest will be broadcast live by WVIA-TV, air on public television stations across the nation and be streamed on ESPN+.

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