6-613: The Bluefield Ridge Runners are a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League . They are located in Bluefield, West Virginia , and play their home games at Bowen Field at Peters Park . Professional baseball was first played in Bluefield, West Virginia , in 1937 by the Bluefield Grays. They were affiliated with six different Major League Baseball teams and also played as an independent club for
12-721: A few seasons. As the Bluefield Orioles, they were affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles , but the team ended their affiliation with Bluefield and the Appalachian League at the end of the 2010 season. Bluefield's 53-season affiliation with the Orioles, which lasted from 1958 to 2010, had been the oldest continuous affiliation with the same major league franchise in Minor League Baseball . The Bluefield Blue Jays became an affiliate organization with
18-800: Is in reference to the city's railroading heritage. Their namesake has been a local tourist attraction since 1964. The Ridge Runner passenger train traverses a loop throughout Lottio Park beyond the right field wall at Bowen Field , the team's home ballpark. Collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate from early June to early August. In contrast to college baseball , which allow aluminum or other composite baseball bats , players in these leagues use only wooden bats, hence
24-698: The Toronto Blue Jays in 2011. In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league , and the Bluefield Blue Jays were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores. The new team became known as the Bluefield Ridge Runners. The moniker
30-496: The collegiate summer season. These draftees can remain with their collegiate summer team until they sign a professional contract. During the season, players are housed by volunteer host families and bussed to and from road games. The leagues vary greatly in their attendances, quality of play, and ability to attract scouts. The Alaska Baseball League (ABL) and the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) are considered
36-701: The common nickname of these leagues as "wood-bat leagues". Collegiate summer leagues allow college baseball players the ability to compete using professional rules and equipment, giving them experience and allowing professional scouts the opportunity to observe players under such conditions. To find a collegiate summer team, players work with their college coaches and prospective teams' general managers. They report to summer leagues after completing their spring collegiate season with their NCAA , NAIA , NJCAA , CCCAA , and NWAC teams. Some players arrive late due to their college team's postseason play, which sometimes runs into early June. In some cases, players are drafted during
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