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Lewes Base Ball Club to host season opener April 2
1864 rules to govern match
The Lewes Base Ball Club will open its 2023 season Sunday, April 2, with a doubleheader against the Eclipse Club of Elkton at noon. Mark Evans is shown sliding into home base during a previous game. SUBMITTED PHOTO
March 23, 2023
Lewes will open its 2023 season with first pitch at noon, Sunday April 2, in a doubleheader against the Elkton Eclipse Base Ball Club, on the field at the Villages of Five Points.
The Lewes Base Ball Club plays by 1864 rules, which include balls being caught on one bounce for an out, no fielding gloves in use, and other fun, historically accurate, 19th century rules of America’s pastime. Admission is free, and spectators are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket.
Lewes has additional home dates throughout the season, including the Base Ball at the Beach/Delaware Roots Festival in August. The team will travel for special events at Fort DuPont State Park, Dove Valley Winery and Fort Delaware, and will once again take part in the National Base Ball Festival held each year in Gettysburg.
The Lewes Base Ball Club traces its origins to 1874, the earliest known reference to the game of baseball in Lewes. In late February of that year, Lewes took on Milton in a match, but the results are currently unknown. A vibrant baseball history took the team across Delmarva and even across the Chesapeake for at least one game in Baltimore. It is not currently known if the team ever traveled to Cape May for a contest. Lewes may have fielded a semi-pro team into at least the early 1940s, and other local and recreational teams called the First Town home. Anyone with Lewes baseball information, artifacts, photographs, scorebooks, uniforms and equipment, or news clippings is encouraged to contact the club.
The current iteration of the club was organized in 2010, and the team was crowned Delaware State Champions in 2016. Interested players and volunteers are encouraged to reach out via the club's Facebook page or email lewesbaseball@gmail.com. The club is a nonprofit organization and membership is open to all. Other activities include hosting speakers and programs relating to baseball on Delmarva with a particular emphasis on Lewes and Sussex County.
For game-day updates including weather-related information, visit @LewesBaseball on Facebook. For general information about the team including upcoming schedule, membership and rules, visit lewesbaseball.org.
