MOOSIC, Pa. — With Spring training underway, back home, it's starting to look like baseball and softball season.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to PNC Field and our Bill Howerton Baseball and Softball Media Day," RailRiders Director of Communications Adam Marco said, welcoming a large crowd.
Both high school and college teams met at PNC Field for the area's first-ever media day and over 200 players and coaches showed up.
"It's extremely unique," Marco told Newswatch 16. "I can't think of another one I've seen in high school sports, college sports like this. PNC Field and the RailRiders area huge part of this community. So, the ability for us to host these student athletes, just a tremendous day, tremendous start to the season for everybody."
The idea came from North Pocono Baseball Coach Brian Jardine, who is also a member of the Bill Howerton Foundation. Howerton was the longtime baseball coach at the University of Scranton. He died from cancer in 2012. Alongside Keystone Coach Jamie Shevchik, Jardine has been organizing Bill Howerton Strike Out Cancer games for years, but today was something different -- a community gathering, in Howerton's honor.
"It gave me chills when I saw how many people were here," Shevchik said. "A lot of those kids and those coaches that were in that room upstairs never knew who Bill was or probably still don't know who he is. So, I think it's our job to make sure that we live through his memory.
"Coach Shevchik and I actually started where he had a game and I had a game at North Pocono," Jardine added. "He had one at Keystone and from there it grew into the last we were able to play it, we're looking at 40 teams. It's really exciting to see where it's gone to."
"Just overwhelming," Bill's daughter, Melissa Howerton said. "It's just so generous and kind of his former players, colleagues to keep his memory alive in this way."
Giving the kids the chance to do what Howerton loved: talk baseball, and softball.
"We're not really used to having a media day or this much attention," Hazleton Area senior baseball player Kyle Peters said. "So, it's fun, especially being with the kids you grew up with."
"I think it really brings us together as not just schools, meeting each other but just bring it together, have a bigger format for us and I think it's really great to have these opportunities available," Pittston Area senior softball player Isabella Giardina added.
High school teams begin practice a week from Monday. Some of the college seasons are already underway.