Details, Directions and more on Williams-Amherst baseball at Wahconah Park Saturday

Directions to Wahconah Park

Free fan bus for Williams students leaves from in front of Chapin Hall at 11:45 and returns to campus immediately following the game.

Admission: $5 for adults; Williams students free with ID

Schedule of Events:

Wahconah Park Opens at 9AM

Clinic Registration Begins at 10 AM

Youth Clinic Sponsored by College Baseball Hall of Fame
and Duquette Sports Academy  10:30 AM till 12PM

Home Infield Practice 12:05 to 12:20PM

Visitor Infield Practice 12:25 to 1240PM

Field Maintenance 12:40 to 12:55PM

On Field Ceremony Commemorating 149th Anniversary of
1st College Game Plaque to Mayor Ruberto 12:56 to 1:04PM

Lineup Cards Exchanged 1:05PM

Game Time 1:10PM

149th year of Williams-Amherst baseball to be celebrated in Pittsfield's Wahconah Park

On Saturday, April 12th at 1:10 pm the Williams and Amherst baseball teams will square off in Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, Mass. to celebrate the 149th year of college baseball in America. Williams and Amherst met in the first intercollegiate contest back on July 1, 1859 in Pittsfield in a game won by Amherst 73-32 in 25 innings.

Williams currently boasts a record of 13-7, 3-0 NESCAC, while Amherst is 12-6-1, 4-2 in NESCAC.
The 289th meeting between the archrivals is setting the stage for what is expected to be an even larger celebration in 2009 when the 150th year of college baseball will noted.

Former Eph baseball player Mike Barbera '89 got the ball rolling on this project and was assisted by Amherst graduate Dan Duquette who grew up in nearby Dalton, Mass. Barbera and Duquette worked with Williams head coach Bill Barrale and Amherst head coach Bill Thurston to move the game from the Williams campus to Pittsfield. Barbera and Duquette also enlisted the support of the Mayor of Pittsfield James. M. Ruberto and secured the use of historic Wahconah Park.

This year's contest will be preceded by a youth baseball clinic provided by the Dan Duquette Sports Academy.

The College Baseball Hall of Fame, based in Lubbock, Texas, will be on hand to officially recognize the game as the birth of intercollegiate baseball in America. Brad Walker and former major leaguer Neal Heaton will represent the Hall of Fame.

You can see and read more about the celebration of the 149th year of college baseball and Pittsfield being the birthplace of college baseball by visiting the Capital News 9 and Berkshire Eagle links below.

Capital News 9 (includes text and video)

Berkshire Eagle