By Ethan Markon | Staff Writer

BRIGHTON HEIGHTS — The Northside Baseball and Softball Association is getting ready for its 2024 season with the help of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

New dugouts and a batting cage are being built, the baseball and softball fields are being prepped, and scheduling for the season is underway. President of the association Joe Ehman explained the latest updates as he sat down with The Chronicle.

A recent grant from the Pittsburgh Pirates has been allocated towards building more dugouts at Jack Stack Fields. Joe said the team has been a helpful and generous partner towards the association in this process. This grant is also being allocated to build another batting cage at one of the lower fields.

As part of their partnership, the Pittsburgh Pirates also hosted an equipment donation drive in partnership with Northside Baseball’s Clark Ehman at PNC Park on March 23. The drive collected slightly used baseball equipment from around the community for youth baseball partners in the Dominican Republic. Those who donate will receive a voucher for two free tickets to a Pirates home game in 2024.

With the goal of getting more players and fans out to Northside games, the new developments on the field are just part of the way the association plans to make improvements for the upcoming season. An annual field day, held ahead of the season, convenes about 30 people at Jack Stack to line, rake, and cut the fields.

“If you’re ever going to want to play baseball or softball, this is the best way to start,” Joe said.

The association relies on its volunteers to make each season successful. Concession stand workers, team moms, and coaches have been dedicating their time to the leagues each season.

“We ask for volunteer coaches,” Joe said. “We have a pretty good crew of people that have been doing it for a very long time.”

Luke Ehman paints the side of a shed at Jack Stack Fields in preparation for the upcoming Northside Baseball, Softball season. Photo contributed by Joe Ehman

While the official schedule has not been decided yet, the season is intended to run from late April through June and is expected to see 250-300 players join one of the 10 available age-group division leagues listed on their website; four for softball and six for baseball. The leagues range from the 7- and 8-year-old Farm League to the 17- and 18-year-old Super Colt League.

Describing the nature of the games, Joe said, “It’s competitive, but it’s low stakes. We have kids that are amazing and we have kids that have never played before and it’s nice to see them playing with each other and learning from each other.”

When the regular season ends, the all star tournaments begin, spanning the month of July. Last season, the Northside Colt Division Team (15 and 16 years old) and the Northside Bronco Division Team (11 and 12 years old) won the RBI Championships.

Joe said that in recent years it’s been difficult to compete with travel teams, but noted that the association is still excited for the upcoming season.

“We would love for everyone to come check out a game this spring and summer,” he said.

To stay updated about the 2024 season, check out the association’s website, northsidebaseball.org, or follow the Northside Baseball & Softball Association Facebook page.