Highland Challenger Baseball League celebrates 10th season

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - The Highland Challenger Baseball League has given children with physical and intellectual disabilities the opportunity to play baseball since 2014, and Saturday was their spring league opening day for the 2023 season.

But this was no ordinary opening day as the Highland Challenger hit a big milestone, celebrating its 10th year of existence. The league has played spring and fall sessions every year except for 2020, and it’s still going strong.

Every child out there is giving 110% and there are volunteer “buddies” who help each kid play the field and run the bases.

“Up until they got this going, there was very little opportunities for kids with disabilities in the past,” said Dave McDonald, whose son, Trey, plays in the Challenger League. “The smile on all of these kids’ faces out here, you know, it’s their way of being with their buddies and playing the game and getting to do something that makes them really good. Their limitations are very few and minor. They can do anything they want to. Trey is on the autism spectrum. He’s a really intelligent kid, but he’s very much a homebody. So getting him out here today, it was a great achievement for him. He’s come a long way since he was a young kid.”

115 kids signed up this spring, which is the second-most ever.

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