Overview:
The 75th season of the Athol-Orange Chuck Stone Little League and Babe Ruth League will close out with a ceremony on June 27. There will be a dedication to late league board member Shaun Sherman, who was instrumental in improving Salevan Field. The event will include a pitch, hit, and run competition, prize giveaways and concessions.
ATHOL – Closing ceremonies to mark the end of the 75th season for the Athol-Orange Chuck Stone Little League and Babe Ruth League will take place this Saturday, June 27, with a special dedication to be held for late league board member Shaun Sherman.
The event will take place at the Salevan Field, behind the American Legion, 325 Pequoig Ave., Athol. The traditional parade to kick off the season, which was scheduled for May 7, was canceled due to inclement weather.
Sherman died on May 9, 2026, at age 44. After graduating from Athol High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, from which he was honorably discharged in 2003. His obituary reads, “One of his most notable accomplishments was his tireless work in bringing the Athol Little League field back to life, a testament to his unwavering dedication to his community and youth sports.”
“Shaun approached me when I took over the league and asked me about helping to take care of the field, helping to bring Little League back,” said league President Rob Woodard. “He did a tremendous amount of volunteering, a lot of fundraising. He did a lot to help get the field back to what it used to be. He got a lot of volunteers from the Legion Riders, from my dad, to bring back Salevan Field to what it was like when he played. He started doing fundraisers, calling local businesses. He re-sided the concession stand. He just really was instrumental in improving the field and getting it back in shape.”
Sarah Sherman, Shaun’s widow, said in a statement that “when I learned that the Little League was making a dedication at the field in Shaun’s honor, I was filled with emotions of gratitude and pride. Shaun spent his whole life in this community and loved being part of anything that brought kids, families and neighbors together.”
Sarah said that for Shaun, the Little League field was a “place linked to happy memories of his childhood and he also saw it as a place where kids could learn, grow, make memories and feel like they belonged. He spent countless hours there, often behind the scenes, giving his time, energy, and hard work to bring the field back to life…..He never did it for the recognition or praise. He did it because he cared.”
Following the ceremony honoring Sherman, there will be a pitch, hit, and run competition and prize giveaways. Concessions, including hot dogs, will be available. Maddy’s Ice Cream Truck will be on hand from 10:30 to noon, with 20% of all proceeds going to the league. The event begins at 8:45 a.m. with T-ball games.
Chuck Stone founded the Athol Little League in the spring of 1951. The organization would eventually merge with the Little League from Orange and go on to bear his name.
“I think we’re only the third organization to be incorporated with Little League for 75 years,” said league President Rob Woodard earlier this year. “So, it’s a pretty amazing feat. Orange, they started in ’57, so they’re 67 years old. Between the two towns, we have a long history of baseball around here. But Athol was definitely the founder in our two towns.”
Woodard told the Athol Daily News on Tuesday that the 2026 season “went very, very well. Things in our minor league division were good; we had quite a few kids sign up for that. We had close to 50 kids in our minor league division for baseball. All three teams had a very successful season….our softball program is really picking up.”
Among the highlights of the season was the installation of the scoreboard at the Robert C. ‘Woody’ Woodard Softball Field, located behind Muzzy Field in Orange.
“So the girls will have a scoreboard – instead of parents keeping track, they will have their own scoreboard,” he said. “It just went up about a month ago. We finally got everything in place and it’s now ready for the girls for next year.”
Sarah Sherman said that knowing that generations of players and families will see Shaun’s name and remember his impact means more than she could put into words.
“Seeing the community recognize the work, love and dedication he poured into that field, amongst other things, reminds me that his legacy didn’t end when he passed away,” she said. “It lives on in the kids that will play there, in the families that will gather there and in the community. This dedication is more than a tribute to the work he did – it’s a reflection of the kind of man he was. I am grateful there will always be this reminder of someone who gave so much of themselves for others and the ones he loved.”ar.”