From left, Miracle League athlete Sutton Cupp recieves an adjustment on holding a baseball glove from her brother Caylor Cupp prior to the start of Friday evening's Miracle League Demonstration Game. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

PARKERSBURG – More than 30 athletes signed up to take part in a Miracle League demonstration game at Bennett Stump Field at Parkersburg City Park, giving players with disabilities a chance to play baseball while organizers continue working toward a full league.

Amber Stover, president of the Miracle League of the Mid-Ohio Valley, said the group holds two to three demonstration games each year while working toward a permanent field and league.

“This kind of gives the kids a chance to see what it’s going to be like when we do have a full league,” Stover said. “They still have the opportunity to get out there and play baseball, even though we don’t have a permanent home yet, and it also brings awareness to the community of what we’re trying to build.”

The Miracle League is a baseball league for people with disabilities. Stover said Miracle League fields are typically built with a poured rubber surface instead of grass or dirt, making them more accessible for players who use wheelchairs, walkers, crutches or other mobility devices.

There is no age limit, she said, and leagues can be competitive or noncompetitive depending on the players and the size of the program. The Mid-Ohio Valley group currently plays noncompetitive games.

Valerie Richards helps her daughter Jaenelle Richards practice batting prior to the start of Friday evening's Miracle League Demonstration Game hosted at Bennett Stump Field in Parkersburg City Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

“That’s where everybody bats, everybody scores, everybody plays the field,” Stover said.

Stover said she first became familiar with the Miracle League in Morgantown before moving to the Parkersburg area about five years ago. She said her older son has cerebral palsy, and after moving to the area, she noticed fewer extracurricular and sports opportunities for children with disabilities.

“One of the hardest things for me was having one able-bodied son and one disabled son, and having an able-bodied son that was very much into all kinds of different sports, and he had everything available to him,” Stover said. “And then my older son would say, ‘When do I get to play? When is it my turn to play?'”

Stover said that experience helped motivate her to bring a Miracle League program to the Mid-Ohio Valley.

“There are kids out there that don’t have a lot of options to get out there and play team sports, and I think that is something that is very much lacking in this area,” she said.

Caiden Rorr gets a little help from Kayla Rorr while batting at the Miracle League Demonstration game held at Bennett Stump Field in Parkersburg City Park Friday evening. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

The organization has been developing the program for about three years, Stover said. Participation has continued to grow, with close to 20 athletes at previous games and more than 30 signed up for the latest demonstration game.

Stover said some players have returned from earlier games, while others were participating for the first time.

“Hopefully, as the league grows, we’ll have enough to have several teams,” she said.

The group’s long-term goal is to establish a permanent Miracle League field and regular teams. Stover said that could still be a year or two away, depending on when a possible location becomes available and whether the organization can secure major sponsors.

She said the project would require a significant renovation, including installation of the rubberized field, paving and other improvements to make the facility accessible for players using wheelchairs, walkers and other equipment.

From left, Umpire and local childrens' sport coach Darrell Miller walks athlete Emory Johnston back to the pitching mound during the Miracle League's Demonstration Game held at City Park Friday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

“It’s going to be a lot of work once we finally get our permanent location,” Stover said.

Miracle League athlete Nora Lunduski rushes toward first base with her mother Billie Lunduski during Friday evening's demonstration game held at Bennett Stump Field in City Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)