Lewes Base Ball Club to host Elkton Eclipse April 12
Lewes Base Ball Club will open its 2026 home schedule with a doubleheader against the Elkton Eclipse Sunday, April 12, with the first pitch set for noon. The games will be played on the field at the Villages at Five Points near the intersection of Edgemoor Street and Old Orchard Road.
The club plays by 1864 rules, which includes 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. The games are free, and spectators are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket.
The club announced Delaware's Cape Region has been selected to host the 2026 National Tournament of Historic Base Ball Clubs in September at Hudson Fields. In all, 16 clubs from the northeastern United States will attend to play in four pool, double-elimination format games to determine this year's national champion of vintage base ball clubs. To learn more, go to lewesbaseball.org and nahbbc.org.
The Lewes Base Ball Club traces its origins to 1874. On Feb. 28, 1874, Lewes took on Milton in a match, the results of which are currently unknown. There were likely earlier matches, but no written records of those have been discovered. The club celebrates all baseball history in Lewes, the Cape Region and across southern Delaware.
A vibrant baseball history took the team across Delmarva and even across the Chesapeake to at least one game in Baltimore. It is not known if the team ever traveled to Cape May, N.J., 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 reconstituted in 2010. It was recognized as Delaware state champions in 2016 and in 2023. 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 with membership 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, go to the Lewes Base Ball Club page on Facebook.
