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Conococheague Little League

Conococheague Little League

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60+ Years of Conococheague Little League History 

Spring in the River City has always meant baseball, going as far back as any of us here can remember. Conomac Park down by the river, was the town’s gathering place in the 1920s and the baseball field was known for always being busy. The park was forced to close after the flood of 1936 but it wasn’t the end of baseball there.  On June 6, 1939, in a town by the same name just over 160 miles to our north, the very first Little League baseball game was played. In the years that followed other Little League programs like the one in Williamsport, PA, sprang up.

Fifteen years later it made it’s way to Williamsport, MD.  Conococheague Little League played its first games in May of 1954 at Conomac Park. Williamsport celebrated its first ever Little League Opening Day ceremony. The league was made up of four teams with local sponsors known as the Lions, Merchants, Indian and Atheltics. Don Harsh, playing for the Lions was the first batter at the plate, followed by Lee Downey, a former County Commissioner and local realtor. The Athletics won the league championship that year with former County Commissioner William McKinley playing in right field. In 1960 the League moved away from the flood prone Potomac River flatland into its newly constructed field in Byron Memorial Park. Ebersole Field, named for the League’s longtime president and patron Donald “Pinky” Ebersole, was made possible through the efforts of the Williamsport Lions Club which was led by Joe Scott. Just a year later, Conococheague’s Little League All-Star team beat Salisbury 1-0 to win the State Championship. 

Since its modest start in 1954, Conococheague Little League has grown to include T-ball, Rookie, Minor League, Major League, Intermediate, Junior and Senior League divisions with fields at three locations throughout the town (Billy Doub Field, Ebersole Field and Nelson Deal Field). This allows hundreds of youth each season to participate in America’s favorite past-time that has continued for the past 60+ years. Williamsport has a long and successful baseball tradition and the programs at Conococheague Little League have allowed that tradition to grow and flourish. 

The League can boast State Championships at the Little League and Senior League levels as well as numerous district and tournament championships. The League annually fields competitive All-Star teams in one of the toughest Districts/Regions in the State of Maryland. With some of the best and most beautiful facilities in the Tri-State Region, Conococheague Little League has hosted the River City Classic since 1987, a tournament that attracts some of the most competitive 9-10 year old All-Star teams in the region.  

The Board of Directors, coaches, parents, players, and community each year strive to maintain the high standards set by their predecessors and continually work hard to improve all aspects of Conococheague Little League.  
May 1954 - The FIRST Opening Day Ceremonies at Conomac Park, Williamsport 
(The first teams were: Athletics, Indians, Lions, Mecrhants) 


May 1954 - The FIRST pitch of Conococheague Little League 
(The first batter was Don Harsh)

                                                                                         1954 Conococheague Little League Opening Day Rosters 

LIONS

MERCHANTS

INDIANS

ATHLETICA

Albert Wine, Manager

Bucky Norman, Coach

Ray Holland, Coach

 

Don Ardinger

James Benedict

Charles Corwell

Lee Downey

Jack Fazenbaker

Donald Harsh

John Hetzer

Fred Kitchen

Wayne Turner

Tom Banzhoff

Gary Holland

John Wyand

Robert Turner

David Clopper

Clyde Miller, Coach

Cletus (Goat) Anderson

 

 

 

Larry Ardinger

Victor Ardinger

Joe Corderman

Denny Domer

Richard Koontz

Allen Lowery

William Miller

Gary Kreps

Raymond Monninger

Greg Turner

Harvey Johnson

Dave Ebersole

Carl Gooding

Monty Martin, Manager

Tom Jackson, Coach

Cobles Nave, Coach

 

John Harsh

Bill Martin

Edgar Rachor

Jack Rupp

Charles Stumbaugh

Gary Wolfford

Robert Bryan

Tom Jordan

Bruce Garrish

Tom Jackson

Richard Schultz, Jr.

Charles Whipp

Richard Holland

James Herbert

Rick Silvers

Dave Kerns, Manager

Lindy Stenger, Coach

Willis Kitchen, Coach

 

 

Terry Artz

Richard Gruber

Glenn Malott

William McKinley

Phil Myers

Ed Neff

Richard Wright

David Hanna

Donald Hott

Ned Lowman

Ralph Poffenberger

George Magoutas

William Rolland




To commemorate the 60th anniversary of Conococheague Little League, 14 players from 1954 attended the 2014 Opening Ceremony. Among the honorees and tossing out the first pitch are the Lions' Lee Downey (pitcher) and the Indians' Jack Rupp (catcher) Photo by Jon Wright









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Conococheague Little League
 
Williamsport, Maryland 21795

Email: [email protected]

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