By PETE FONTAINE The famed Apponaug Baseball Complex, which some people say has been the scene of youngsters playing the national pastime for many moons and perhaps dating back a half-century, has never looked better and may be in its best shape ever.

That’s because the adult leadership of the Apponaug Babe Ruth Baseball League continues to work tirelessly to provide the best – and safest – playing surfaces for the 200 or so youngster ages 4-12 that make up the Cal Ripken program that features four divisions and has been officially chartered BRL International since 1994.

“The ABRBL is 100 percent volunteer run,” Jim Tweed, the pre-teen program’s tireless president, explained. “We are blessed to have the support of over 30 local sponsors that assist in a variety of ways – from team sponsorships to in-kind gifs of materials or labor - that help sustain our day-to-day operations.”

More impressively, perhaps, there’s a large collection of volunteers who coordinate a number of areas for the family-friendly youth baseball league and as Tweed emphasized the other day “it’s a labor of love to focus limited resources to preserve existing facilities at the ABC as well as working to create the type of baseball environment that will retain our current membership and attract new players and families to the league.”

Tweed then listed the adult volunteer leaders who make up the Board of Directors that is dedicated to making the Apponaug Babe Ruth Baseball League the best program possible whether it be for those upstart sluggers ages 4-6 who play in the Tee Ball Division or kids ages 8-10 and 10-12 who Minor and Major Divisions and sometimes compete statewide.

Those valuable vols and their respective titles are: Steve Madden, vice president; Melissa Madden, treasurer; Elizabeth Scotti, secretary; Josh Ritz, Major Division Director; Dave Bouvier, Minor Division Director; and Rob Heaty, Rookie & Tee Bell Director.

Also, Anthony Gaglione, Fundraising Director; Josh Ritz, All-Stars/Tournament Director; Dave Bouvier, Head of Groundskeeping Apponaug; Josh Ritz, Carlos Andrade, umpire in- chief; Sarah Bouvier, social media coordinator and Melissa Madden, Concessions Coordinator.

In addition, the league has worked hard to foster relationships with local elected officials – including Mayor Frank Picozzi’s office – and including our league supporter and Ward 7 Councilman Stephen McAllister as well as Warwick Parks and Recreation Director Beverly Wiley who Tweed thanked for “taking time out of their schedules to attend our Opening Day ceremony.”