University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Host Knoxville Challenger League
March 24, 2015 | Baseball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- For the fourth year in a row, the Tennessee Volunteers hosted members of the Knoxville Challenger League and it was a home run derby on Tuesday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Each year, the Head Coach Dave Serrano and the Diamond Vols look forward to their event with the Knoxville Challenger League and providing an opportunity for children to experience baseball with the entire Volunteers team.
"All we're doing is having fun playing baseball," junior pitcher Andy Cox said. "It doesn't matter what the score is. They're just out there having a blast and this couldn't have come at a better time. We may have been struggling but you can't take a day for granted. These kids would give their right arm to come play at a field like this. We have to take pride in it and today really put things into perspective."
The Challenger team came out swinging for the fences and later played some defense, as Tennessee took their turn to bat against their competitive friends in the field.
"I had a lot of fun," junior catcher David Houser said. "I think it was a good team bonding thing, as well as just making the kids have fun."
"These guys are my kids' heroes and they love to play with them," said Nic Arning, chairman of the board for the Knoxville Challenger League. "The UT players and coaches make them feel at home. They make them feel like they're great athletes and if you think about it, our baseball team got to play like little kids again. So, I think it's therapeutic for all of us."
The Challenger program, which has expanded to include basketball, golf, swimming and bowling, is a great recreational opportunity for all children with special needs. For more information about the Knoxville Challenger League, visit www.KnoxvilleChallengerSports.org.
For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee baseball, visit UTSports.com/Baseball and follow @Vol_Baseball on Twitter.
