Owen Babe Ruth slides into 2023 season

Opening Day brings hundreds of Swannanoa Valley youth to Veterans Park

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 16, 2023

The dirt was flying and the bats were pinging, April 15, as the Charles D. Owen Babe Ruth League held its 2023 Opening Day at Veterans Park.

More than 325 children from the Swannanoa Valley made their spring debut, as the league hosted 30 games, beginning Friday evening and finishing on Saturday.

The festivities opened with a slate of six games, with players ranging in age from 6 and under to 12 and under, on the first night of the campaign. Saturday featured a packed schedule of nine contests, including a pair of Bitty Ball matchups. All 19 squads, in full uniform, posed for team pictures.

Owen Babe Ruth will host more than 160 games at Veterans Park this season, relying on volunteers to coach and run concession stands. The nonprofit organization is searching for additional volunteers, and paid umpires, as the season the continues. To sign up, email owenbaberuth2@gmail.com

Photos of the 2023 Charles D. Owen Babe Ruth League Opening Day can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.