Commonwealth University Students Volunteer at the MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport

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2. Commonwealth University Students Volunteer at the MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport

Commonwealth University recently sent 14 Bloomsburg and Lock Haven students to the MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, to support game day operations and gain valuable hands-on experience in the sports industry.

Students were accompanied by Dr. Peter Campbell, professor Bridget Roun and Doug Spatafore, senior director of athletic communications and marketing at CU-Lock Haven.

The student volunteers had the rare opportunity to support operations at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field, the site of the MLB Little League Classic. Now in its ninth year, the 2025 event featured a matchup between the Seattle Mariners and the New York Mets. The event offers a unique environment and experience that celebrates the sport by connecting major league players with its youngest fans from around the world.

CU-Bloomsburg student, Addison Sondberg, was assigned to assist the Little League Latin America team from Venezuela throughout the event. She ensured they were where they needed to be, supported them during event activities and served as a resource for any questions they had.

"The experience was nothing short of amazing," Sondberg said. "Being able to be part of this experience is something I'll never forget. To be able to help out with the Little League teams and make sure their experience was exciting is definitely the most satisfying reward."

Spatafore, who has been working in athletic communications at CU-Lock Haven for more than 18 years, said his experience volunteering with the event this year was an amazing opportunity. "It's amazing to see such a huge event take part here in Central Pennsylvania and it's always nice to have a behind-the-scenes look at how an event of that size plays out," said Spatafore, who also is a Lock Haven alumnus. "The time and effort of many to plan, coordinate and execute is hard to explain. For me, it's fun to stay involved, help out and network. I love that our Commonwealth University students had the chance to share in this opportunity as it helps them build their resumes with hands-on experience at the highest level."

Students who participated in the event included: Christopher Algard, of Bloomsburg; Austin Colosimo, of Catawissa; Bryce Eberhart, of Montoursville; Andrew Kramer, of Ballston Spa, New York; Geovanni Magana, of Harwood, Maryland; Nicholas Mikita, of Shenandoah; Dalton Mohr, of Douglassville; Jay Pagliaro, of Altoona; Chase Shutt, of Herndon; Emily Smith, of Dallas, Pennsylvania; Addison Sondberg, of Sewell, New Jersey; Ashton Sunday, of Carlisle; Logan Taylor, of Bloomsburg; and Nicholas Vallo, of Pompton Plains, New Jersey.

Opportunities like the MLB Little League Classic reflect Commonwealth University's strong commitment to provide real-world, career-focused experiences for students. Students from Bloomsburg and Lock Haven also attended the CU Sport Management Virtual Job Fair on Sept. 18 and will attend the RMU Sport Management Student Summit on Oct. 24 in Pittsburgh.

Categories:

• Sport Management

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• Volunteer