Bubba slips on his batting gloves and grabs his helmet. A rock version of “Unstoppable” plays on the speakers as he heads to the plate.
The 21-year-old, whose actual name is James Scholten, hits the ball down the middle. The crowd cheers as No. 51 takes off for first base. His teammates, who also have physical or intellectual challenges, give him high-fives on the warm summer morning.
At a baseball diamond tucked away in Wilkes-Barre’s Miners Mills neighborhood, acceptance, friendships and confidence flourish. The Wyoming Valley Challenger Baseball league, which has expanded and thrived at the field over the last six years, will have a bigger venue — and audience — next month.
The team will play in the 2025 Little League Challenger Division Exhibition Game at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport — a dream for organizers and parents, and a source of great pride and excitement for the athletes.
The game on Aug. 23 will have a nationwide audience, as WVIA broadcasts and streams the showcase of community and inclusion.
“I can’t wait for the World Series,” Bubba said.
Finding a place to play baseball in Wilkes-Barre
Little League founded the Challenger Division in 1989, and the Wyoming Valley league started two years later.
The Challenger Division includes players ages 4 to 22, and a senior league has no maximum age. More than 30,000 athletes participate in the Challenger Division each year, taking part in 950 programs in 10 countries.
The Wyoming Valley league had shuffled from field to field for years, often in places that weren’t ideal for players with physical challenges or for those who desire consistency.
The league and the city of Wilkes-Barre saw promise in a field at the Bog. In 2018, the league signed a 25-year, $1 deal for a new home. A year later, and with financial assistance from many businesses and organizations, it was time to “play ball” at the new Evercor Field.
The new home with accessible dugouts has helped the league grow. In the last six years, the roster has expanded from 35 to almost 140 players from throughout the region.
“It's just really quite remarkable that we've been able to do this,” said Stephen Cheskiewicz, a league board member and the parent of a player.
Families filled the bleachers on the sunny morning last month, as the league prepared to hold three games throughout the day. Volunteers sold hot dogs and pierogi at the concession stand. A misting system cooled players as any shade started to disappear.
Greg Murray helps coach his 9-year-old son, Brendan.
“It gives him an opportunity to do normal stuff. He loves it,” the father said. “It’s just an awesome experience.”
The family has sat in the stands at the Challenger Exhibition games at the Little League World Series since 2017. Now, Brendan will get his turn on the field.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” the father said.
Applying to play at the World Series
Cheskiewicz adopted his son, Michael, about a decade ago. Soon after, Michael — now 25 — started playing in the Challenger league. He became more outgoing. He felt a connection with his team. He received invitations to birthday parties.
“He's like a completely different kid since he's been a part of Challenger baseball,” his father said. “It's really quite remarkable.”
Michael played first base that morning, giving high-fives to each player on base.
Cheskiewicz, an associate professor at Pennsylvania College of Technology, has documented the growth of the team through his photos and social media posts. After attending the exhibition game in South Williamsport several years ago, he began applying for a chance to play.
“Teams have to have a good story,” Cheskiewicz said. “I knew we had a great story, because we grew so much, and we got this great field. We had all this community support.”
For the game, players must be between the ages of 4 and 22, and families had to commit to a full, four-day schedule in Williamsport. The players will have a turn sitting on cardboard and sliding down the iconic hill at Lamade Stadium, trade pins with players from around the world and have a picnic with fellow competitors. Wyoming Valley will play the Woburn Little League Challenger Division of Woburn, Massachusetts, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
With a roster capped at 15 players, the hardest part for the league was determining who will play, Cheskiewicz said.
At 25, Michael won’t be on the field, but he will be in the stands. Cheskiewicz hopes the team’s proximity to Lycoming County will draw a robust “home crowd.”
“We're really putting the message out there that we really want to fill the stadium up,” he said.
Lasting impact of Challenger baseball
Each game in Wilkes-Barre starts with an introduction of the teams and the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Heather Dapkins, the mother of a player and the league’s vice president, filled in for President Larry Wills as announcer. Each athlete’s warm-up song played from the speakers as he or she moved to the batter’s box.
Players hit the ball by pitch or tee. Games consist of two innings, with each player having a chance to bat twice. Each player advances a base, and everyone scores a run. Everyone plays defense, too.
Some players receive assistance with batting or making it to the bases from parents or volunteers. Local sports teams and community groups often volunteer.
Christine Granahan remembers having to drag her daughter from base-to-base 15 years ago. Mckenna, now 20, scooped up the ball and threw it to a volunteer on the recent Saturday morning.
“I absolutely love to see the group that Mckenna has always played with, and how they're just growing and developing as players and friends. It's amazing,” the mother said. “They actually want to catch the ball, and it’s really impressive.”
Mckenna will play in Williamsport and is excited about “being on the TV.”
Cheskiewicz can’t wait to see the players on the field at Volunteer Stadium, smiling on the Jumbotron — and their teamwork and perseverance on display for a national TV audience.
“That's going to be the coolest thing, just to see the smiles,” he said. “There are days my face literally hurts from smiling so much, and I'm sure it's going to be that kind of a sensation in Williamsport. I know it is.”
The Challenger Division Exhibition Game is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 23 at Volunteer Stadium. Admission is free.
WVIA will produce a full television broadcast of the game and stream it live on WVIA-TV, on wvia.org and on the WVIA PBS app. The broadcast will also be available on-demand after the live event and will be made available to PBS stations across the country.
Coming next month: Learn more about the Wyoming Valley Challenger Baseball League teammates who will play at the Little League World Series.
