Collegiate baseball team run by Ohio University students

ATHENS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League wrapped up the baseball season in late July, playing 38 games against teams around Ohio and Indiana, but it wasn't without its problems.

Frequent storms in the first half of June and through much of July forced frequent game delays for the Southern Ohio Copperheads, a student-run program at Ohio University. All of the home games were played at Bob Wren Stadium in Athens.

The unique program acquaints student personnel with the field of sports management, including ticket sales, player operations, broadcasting, and business management. Charlie Clegg, the student general manager of the Copperheads and a senior at Ohio University, said the crowd size in Athens averaged around 2,000 during most games. Players gain a great deal of knowledge from the sports experience and interaction with enthusiastic fans.

Dylan Hoerner, a Copperheads pitcher who currently attends Edison State Junior College in Piqua, hopes to earn a scholarship to a four-year college. Teammate Kyle Ratliff, who played centerfield and attends Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, is thinking about the Major League Baseball draft.

The final home game of the season was played on Saturday, July 23, against the Sandusky Ice Haulers, followed by a road game the next afternoon in Newark against the Licking County Settlers.