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PCT softball to make history at MLB Little League Classic this year

By From staff reports 3 min read

When the tarp needs to move for the annual MLB Little League Classic at Bowman Field on Sunday night, Penn College student-athletes know just what to do.

When the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers meet Sunday night for the next installment of the Classic, Penn College will make history as twenty-five members of the Wildcats' softball team and coaching staff will create an all-female tarp crew for the MLB Little League Classic. While it will be the first all-female crew for the Classic, it is also believed to be one of the first all-female tarp crews for an MLB game.

"As far as I know, I have never seen [an all-female crew]," MLB Field & Stadium Consultant Murray Cook said. "We are excited to have these ladies ready to help at a moment's notice to get the tarp on the field. Their preparation was great, a lot of them have never pulled a tarp before so we were able to break it down for them so they know where to be to deploy the tarp safely and rapidly."

Since 2017, Penn College's athletic department has played an important behind-the-scenes role at MLB Little League Classic games, with staff and student-athletes serving as the stadium's trained tarp crew during MLB's annual visit to Williamsport. The tradition began with the inaugural Classic and has continued as one of the unique connections between Penn College and one of baseball's biggest stages.

Sunday represents both a continuation and a first at the Classic as the Wildcats prepare for an assignment that will put them in front of a national audience and thousands of young athletes.

"Someday, these young women will graduate. Their playing careers will eventually end. The wins and losses will begin to blend together, and some of the details of individual games may fade," said Penn College Softball Head Coach Amber Savage. "But these young women will always have this special memory of their MLB Classic experience."

"We tell the girls constantly about leaving a program better than we found it. About building something bigger than ourselves and giving the next generation of female athletes opportunities that previous generations didn't have. Now we have the opportunity to put the concept into action," Savage continued.

That message of inspiration takes on another dimension for everyone involved this year.

"It's just an amazing opportunity for us and our program to help out at the MLB Classic," Penn College junior catcher, Astyn Calaman said. "It's not something you get to be a part of all the time, so to be able to represent our school and be one of the first for females in the MLB is a great opportunity for our program to be a part of."

For a group of student-athletes accustomed to playing their own game, their most memorable moment this weekend may come from helping make a Major League game possible.

"They aren't just prepared to cover the field, they are ready to break new ground. It will be a piece of history that will belong to these women forever," Savage said.

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