(April 2, 2015) Berlin Little League slid headfirst onto the front page of public consciousness last year, with two all-star teams going deep in the postseason and one playing in a national title game.
It ended with a parade down Main Street in Berlin on a rainy evening in October, with several dozen uniformed players receiving recognition from a cavalcade of cheering fans.
Little League baseball action returns on April 11, and league president Nornie Bunting expects another banner year in Berlin.
“I believe there’s like five kids who are eligible to return to the [9-10-year-old] team that won the state championship, and there’s an even younger group of kids that was in our pitching machine league that did really well in the six tournaments that they played in,” he said. “There are still some ballplayers coming up in the younger generation, as well as the older kids who are moving up.”
Bunting said the league now boasts more than 550 children on more than 30 different teams, including tea ball, rookie league, major league, intermediate league, junior league, senior league and three divisions of softball.
Players range from 4 to 16 years of age.
Most teams have been filled, although some spaces remain on the junior and senior league teams.
A league-wide fundraiser will be held at Chipotle in West Ocean City on Tuesday, April 7 at 4 p.m. The restaurant will donate 50 percent of proceeds when guests mention Berlin Little League.
“Chipotle is very supportive of the community and we’re very thankful to them,” Bunting said. “Without businesses and people like them, it’s tough to raise the money for everything that have to do.”
Bunting said the league is also raffling a 50-inch flat screen TV. Tickets are $5, available through the league website at www.berlinlittleleague.org. The winner will be announced on opening day.
All-star season, leading into local and state tournament play, begins in June.
“It’s always exciting for baseball to start,” Bunting said. “I think when we get into all-star’s I can get a little better feel for how we’re thinking that our all-star teams will do because kids change their abilities to play from year to year. Little Johnny could hardly throw and catch last year, and he comes out this year and he’s a foot taller and knocking the heck out of the ball.
“I’m really truly excited about our league, and I have to thank everyone in the community for all the donations and everything they’ve done to keep our league afloat,” Bunting added.
It ended with a parade down Main Street in Berlin on a rainy evening in October, with several dozen uniformed players receiving recognition from a cavalcade of cheering fans.
Little League baseball action returns on April 11, and league president Nornie Bunting expects another banner year in Berlin.
“I believe there’s like five kids who are eligible to return to the [9-10-year-old] team that won the state championship, and there’s an even younger group of kids that was in our pitching machine league that did really well in the six tournaments that they played in,” he said. “There are still some ballplayers coming up in the younger generation, as well as the older kids who are moving up.”
Bunting said the league now boasts more than 550 children on more than 30 different teams, including tea ball, rookie league, major league, intermediate league, junior league, senior league and three divisions of softball.
Players range from 4 to 16 years of age.
Most teams have been filled, although some spaces remain on the junior and senior league teams.
A league-wide fundraiser will be held at Chipotle in West Ocean City on Tuesday, April 7 at 4 p.m. The restaurant will donate 50 percent of proceeds when guests mention Berlin Little League.
“Chipotle is very supportive of the community and we’re very thankful to them,” Bunting said. “Without businesses and people like them, it’s tough to raise the money for everything that have to do.”
Bunting said the league is also raffling a 50-inch flat screen TV. Tickets are $5, available through the league website at www.berlinlittleleague.org. The winner will be announced on opening day.
All-star season, leading into local and state tournament play, begins in June.
“It’s always exciting for baseball to start,” Bunting said. “I think when we get into all-star’s I can get a little better feel for how we’re thinking that our all-star teams will do because kids change their abilities to play from year to year. Little Johnny could hardly throw and catch last year, and he comes out this year and he’s a foot taller and knocking the heck out of the ball.
“I’m really truly excited about our league, and I have to thank everyone in the community for all the donations and everything they’ve done to keep our league afloat,” Bunting added.