Batter Up!

As baseball season is upon us, let’s celebrate the long history of baseball in the Kutztown area.  Competitive teams were organized in Kutztown beginning in the 19th century.  The society has photographs of teams from the early 1920s, and “The Kutztown Patriot” archives include many reports of baseball games throughout Berks County.

 Baseball was one of the original sports that Kutztown High School participated in when schools in Berks County created scholastic athletic leagues.  Kutztown won the Berks County Baseball Championship in 1931, 1942, 1959, 1967, 1998.

 While an organized softball league came later to high school sports, Kutztown High School lost little time creating a legacy of its own with Berks County Softball Championships in 1984, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002.

 The PIAA didn’t organize baseball and softball tournaments until the 1970s.  Kutztown is well represented in those tournaments.

 Baseball won District III titles in 1983, 1995, 2006, 2007, 2019, 2023.  They were the state championship runner up in 2007. The Kutztown Legion team was the state runner-up in 2010 as well.

 Softball teams made their mark in the PIAA softball playoffs with District III championships in 1983, 1984, 1989, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2024.  The team played in the state championship game five times, winning in 1984, 1997, 2002 and runner up in 1983 and 1999.

 Barely a night goes by in springtime when the Kutztown Park isn’t hosting a baseball or softball game. Whether it’s Little League, junior varsity, or varsity, watch a game (or two) this spring, and help celebrate a Kutztown tradition that’s been around for more than a century.