SoKY’s Choice: Baseball Meets Bravery, WKU Hosts Louisville Slugger Warriors in Charity Game

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) — The sound of bats cracking and gloves popping echoed across Nick Denes Field on Saturday, but the real story wasn’t written in the box score. It was written in the heart.

Western Kentucky University Baseball hosted the Louisville Slugger Warriors, the nation’s first and only competitive amputee baseball team, in a charity exhibition game that turned the diamond into a stage for courage and community.

The Warriors, comprising retired service members and former NCAA athletes, travel the country sharing a message of perseverance through sports. Each player has faced life-changing injuries, yet none have let those challenges keep them from the game they love.

“Not only do you have the university, but here we’re honoring the military,” said Bernie Strenecky of the Bowling Green Rotary Club, one of the event’s organizers. “It’s good for us, great for Bowling Green, and wonderful for the participants.”

The game was part of a weekend celebration that included a screening of the Warriors’ documentary Curveballs… Secrets to the Game of Life and a special bat presentation honoring Richard Miller, a former WKU faculty member and professional baseball player.

“This is what Rotary focuses on, community support, bringing people together, working collaboratively for a purpose,” Miller said. “Baseball is a great example of that.”

The Bowling Green Rotary Club, Army ROTC, and several WKU departments partnered to make the event possible. Proceeds from reserved seating and donations will go toward WKU scholarships and local youth baseball programs.

For many fans, the matchup was about more than the scoreboard. “Baseball brings people together, young people, seniors, everyone,” said Strenecky. “It’s a unifying force, and it’s something we all need right now.”

From the first pitch to the final out, the Hilltoppers and Warriors played with shared respect and joy, a reminder that the human spirit can’t be benched.

“It’s amazing to have the handicap, to have it happen, but it doesn’t stop them,” said Janette Boehman, also with the Rotary Club. “They actually try harder, and it’s inspiring to everyone watching.”

For WKU Baseball Head Coach Marc Rardin, the game provided his team with a new perspective on what it means to face challenges. “When you see these guys play with such determination,” Rardin said, “it changes how you define struggle.”

As the crowd rose to its feet in applause, it was clear the game meant more than a win; it was a celebration of strength, service, and the simple joy of playing America’s pastime.