Miracle Series Heads to Cal Ripken Experience in Pigeon Forge, TN

FAIRFIELD, OH (February 24, 2023)—Load up the trucks! Players from the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields are hitting the road!

The Miracle Series, a traveling baseball experience for special needs athletes, breaks through a new barrier this season. This year, athletes from the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields and three other Miracle League organizations will travel to The Ripken Experience® Pigeon Forge (Tennessee) to play baseball at the nationally-renowned facility. The trip, which will promote and raise awareness for inclusion in baseball, is scheduled for July 29-31, 2023. Sean Casey, Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer and Founder of the Miracle League of the South Hills, PA, will serve as the tournament’s MLB Ambassador.

“At the Miracle League, we want to give every player the same opportunities to have an incredible baseball experience,” says Casey. “Ripken Baseball helps us take that experience to the next level. Our families, players, and coaches look forward to creating lifelong memories this summer and showing them what it’s like to play the Ripken Way.”

The following Miracle League programs will join athletes from the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields in Pigeon Forge for this one-of-a-kind experience:

· Pittsburgh, PA -- Miracle League of the South Hills (host league)

· Sioux City, IA -- Miracle League of Sioux City

· Hamilton, NJ -- Miracle League of Mercer County

In 2022, the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields hosted the first-ever Miracle Series game, welcoming nearly 30 athletes and families from Casey’s Miracle League of the South Hills for games played at the facility in Fairfield.

“Hosting Sean and his athletes at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields was one of the greatest moments we’ve ever experienced in our history,” says Nuxhall Foundation President and Board Chairman Kim Nuxhall. “Now, we have an opportunity to help make a miracle for our own families—many of which thought they might never have an ability to participate in a traveling baseball program. It’s really a life-changing opportunity that my dad would have absolutely loved.”

Ripken Baseball will create an inclusive environment where the players feel like Big Leaguers on the state-of-the-art fields, complete with walk-up music, umpires, and VIP treatment, allowing athletes and their families to experience the joy of America’s favorite pastime.

The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge (Source: Ripken Baseball)

“The Miracle League does a tremendous job making our sport more accessible and inclusive for all players,” says Ripken Baseball Co-Founder Cal Ripken, Jr. “When Billy and I founded Ripken Baseball, we wanted to offer a taste of the Big League experience for youth teams and their families. We’re thrilled to team up with Miracle League this summer to give their players a travel baseball memory that they’ll cherish forever.”

Families from the Great Miami Valley YMCA Youth League and the Therapeutic Recreation for the Disabled Adult League submitted interest forms during the month of February to indicate their desire to participate in the program. League officials will select approximately 20 athletes to take part in this year’s program.

Teddy Kremer, 2022 Nuxhall Humanitarian Award winner and Cincinnati Reds batboy, will join the traveling squad, serving as the Manager for the squads participating in this inclusive baseball experience.

The program will be funded through a combination of funds raised by The Nuxhall Foundation and individual contributions from participating families. To donate or support the Miracle Series, visit www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org/miracleseries or contact Nuxhall Foundation Executive Director Tyler Bradshaw at info@nuxhallmiracleleague.org.

Video: 2022 Miracle Series

https://vimeo.com/733836053?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=8865974

Learn More About the Miracle Series

The Miracle Series program will continue in 2024, when athletes from the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields will travel to Greater Pittsburgh for a weekend of games at Casey’s Miracle League of the South Hills. The 2024 travel date has not yet been selected.

“This is what baseball should be,” says Nuxhall Foundation Executive Director Tyler Bradshaw. “With this amazing partnership, we are eliminating the word ‘can’t’ and proving that our athletes are capable of making miracles. We can’t wait to work together with all the great organizations involved in this experience to create lifetime memories for our families.”

About The Nuxhall Foundation

The Nuxhall Foundation is the legacy foundation for former Major League Baseball pitcher and longtime Cincinnati Reds broadcaster, Joe Nuxhall. A central project of The Nuxhall Foundation is The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields—an entirely accessible baseball and recreational facility where every player with every challenge gets every chance to play. More than 200 players between ages 4 to 78 participate in programs at the Miracle League Fields.

For more information, visit http://www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org.

Donate to Support The Miracle Series

For all media inquiries or to schedule an appearance, please contact:

Tyler Bradshaw

(513) 839-6164

tyler@nuxhallmiracleleague.org

About Ripken Baseball

Ripken Baseball brings teammates, coaches, and families together through its Big League Experiences while teaching children how to play sports the right way – the Ripken Way. Ripken Baseball continues to innovate the game through tournaments, camps, clinics, and spring training at their state-of-the-art baseball and softball facilities – The Ripken Experience® Aberdeen (Maryland), The Ripken Experience® Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), The Ripken Experience® Pigeon Forge (Tennessee), The Ripken Experience® Elizabethtown (Kentucky), and Cooperstown All Star Village (New York). Ripken Baseball also brings its youth sports experience to satellite locations through Ripken Select Tournaments. Learn more at ripkenbaseball.com.

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