This week I was able to give some coverage to the Rhode Island Senior Softball League, which recently wrapped up its regular season and will be playing its postseason in the next few weeks.

With 350 players rostered, the league is still going strong in its 43rd season. When you watch the teams in action, you can see why.

On the one hand, these guys are in it to socialize and have fun on Sunday mornings. On the other, they still have a competitive itch that needs to be scratched.

Make no mistake about it, though, it’s a friendly atmosphere. Most of these guys have been friends for years, with most teams returning the same roster each season. Some players have competed alongside one another since the league’s inception nearly five decades ago.

Games are Sunday mornings at fields throughout the state, and the teams play doubleheaders. After the games conclude, players usually stick around to eat some lunch, have a few drinks and enjoy each other’s company. It’s cliché, but these games look more like family backyard barbecues.

I swung by to watch the Blue Cross team take on Cozy Grille in the regular season finale last weekend. I only cover the league here and there, but there were plenty of familiar faces. I was thoroughly entertained, not just by the gameplay, but the interactions both on and off the field.

There was some great banter between teammates as well as some smack talk between opponents. You had guys teasing each other when they would commit an error, others would try to motivate their teammates when they fell behind on the scoreboard. I even saw one player from Cozy Grille lay into a teammate for not running out a ground ball. 

I spoke to league treasurer and longtime member Paul Danesi, who pitches for the Blue Cross team. Although the league is not hurting for numbers, Danesi was enthusiastic when saying that its always looking for players considering how tricky it can be maintaining numbers when players advance in age. That’s not including guys like Blue Cross player-manager Joe Giordano, who is still at it at 96 years old.

The RI Senior Softball League is a wonderful community that deserves recognition and support. The playoffs are being played the next few weeks and then the league will be doing its end of the year ceremony in October, which will also feature its hall of fame induction.

I’d encourage any seniors that want to stay active to give the league a look. It’s a perfect group to be a part of.

Shifting gears to the other diamond.

We are (pretty much) done with our baseball season. There are fall ball leagues, but in terms of the main Little League season and summer baseball clubs, 2025 is a wrap.

Although none of our Little League teams made it to Williamsport, central Rhode Island continued to be a hot bed for baseball talent.

We had several district champs and a couple state champions. The future is looking bright for our clubs. Cranston East had a big summer as its junior team took third at regionals and its 11-U club won the district. Cranston Western saw its 10-U team reach the state final, while the Warwick North 10’s and Warwick Continental 11’s won their respective districts. The Johnston 8-U team recently finished second in the Andreozzi Tournament as well, which is effectively the state tournament. 

The future is looking bright for our Little League baseball teams and I have a feeling that we will be sending a Warwick-Cranston-Johnston team to Williamsport in the next few years.

Rhode Island baseball is great across the board. The road to the state championship is a buzzsaw, so point being, it will not be easy. However, with so many central RI teams in the mix, I feel pretty confident in saying that at least one will break through and go on a run at regionals. Although Massachusetts won New England this year, I still believe RI is the perennial favorite. 

Cranston East and Warwick Continental will be in the mix at the 12-U level next year, and you can never count out Cranston Western. The CWLL 10’s were close to winning the state title and will only get better, as North became a factor and has something brewing there as well.

Johnston’s 8-U club is a great story as well. JLL struggled with numbers following Covid but has since rebounded. To see its youngsters put on a show at the Andreozzi Tournament can only means good things moving forward. It’s been a while since JLL has had a team make a deep run, so maybe these guys are the next in line.

The Warwick PAL Connie Mack team also won the state title as it knocked off two-time defending champ Flood Ford.

PAL was dominant throughout the season, losing just one game and cruising to the title in convincing fashion in the playoffs. What made it cool was that the lineup was primarily Pilgrim and Toll Gate kids. As much fun as it is to see the Pats and Titans do battle, it was great to follow these players as they took home the Connie Mack crown. They played laser-focused all season after falling just short last year, and that determination shined through as they put on one of the more impressive summer seasons in recent memory.