Front Royal welcomes teams to Little League State Tournament, military homecoming awes crowd

The Town of Front Royal welcomed 16 teams from around the state of Virginia for the 10U Little League Tournament during the Opening Ceremonies at Bing Crosby Stadium Thursday night.

After the teams were introduced and a few speakers from the community including Sports Director Ryan Rutherford addressed the crowd, an emotional homecoming took place on the field for Navy servicemember Richard Simpson and his son Logan Simpson of Bennett’s Creek Little League in Suffolk.

MC Harold Chunn announced that Logan was selected to throw out the ceremonial first pitch to officially begin the 10 year old tournament, then Coach Rich, as he is called when volunteering with Bennett’s Creek Little League, took the field in his dress whites and joined his son and wife.

Richard Simpson was deployed for 259 days before returning to Virginia and will now get to watch his son compete in the state tournament.

The event was captured on video on the River 953’s Facebook page.

Opening Ceremonies concluded with pizza, pin swapping, and a firework display.

Games begin Friday from Gertrude Miller Park and our coverage of the tournament brought to you by the Hike Kidz Foundation c/o Brickhouse Bar and Grill begins at 12:15 with Front Royal vs Culpeper on Fox Sports Radio 1450, theriver953.com and The River953 app.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

Warren Heritage Society reschedules reception of baseball exhibit

The Warren Heritage Society has rescheduled the reception for their latest exhibit “Play Ball! A History of Little League and Baseball in Warren County” to Thursday, July 23rd at 5pm.

The exhibit will still open to the public during regular museum hours, 10 am – 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday at 101 Chester Street, starting July 15th.

“Play Ball!” will feature a collection of photographs, memorabilia, and other items from Front Royal Little League and Warren County’s rich baseball history including previous state championship teams from the 1960s to last year’s 2025 12U State Champions.

For more information on the opening reception, click here.

The originally scheduled opening reception was rescheduled so it did not interfere with the 10U Little League State Tournament’s Opening Ceremony on July 16th at Bing Crosby Stadium.

Pool play will begin July 17th with coverage of each Front Royal 10U tournament game and the State Championship game available on Fox Sports Radio 1450, The River 95.3 app, and TheRiver953.com.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

Sports Dogs Podcast: FRLL prepares for 10U State Tournament

Ryan, play-by-play voice of Front Royal Little League, is joined by FRLL 10U All Star coaches Nick Helmick and Bo Woodard!

In the latest Sports Dogs Podcast, they discussed:

  • dominant District Tournament performance
  • impact of WildHawks
  • inspiration from 2025 12U State Champs
  • preview the tournament
  • put out a call for volunteers and the Maroon Monsoon!

Click HERE to listen to the latest podcast on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, or The River online.

The Front Royal 10U All Stars schedule:

The Sports Dogs are brought to you by Energy Windows LLC. Boost the curb appeal of your home by visiting http://energywindowsllc.com or call 540-671-9243 TODAY!

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

Front Royal Little League prepares for State Tournament, volunteers needed

Front Royal Little League is preparing to host the 2026 Virginia State Little League 10U tournament next week and is in need of volunteers.

The 16-team tournament will begin July 16th with opening ceremonies and continue through the State Championship game on July 22nd at Gertrude Miller Park.

Organizers need volunteers to help make this event a success, and welcome anyone who can volunteer for any amount of time.

The main area of need is for help running the concessions stand and no experience is required, just a helping hand.

If you are able to volunteer for the tournament, contact Charlene Thomas at 703-409-5654.

All Little League games remain free to attend thanks in part to the hard work of the volunteers.

The 10U State Tournament will begin with the Opening Ceremonies from Bing Crosby Stadium on July 16th and conclude with a firework display, then coverage of the 10U State Tournament begins July 17th on Fox Sports Radio 1450 and TheRiver953.com.

Front Royal Little League will play in Pool B with the following schedule:

  • Friday, July 17th- 12:30 pm vs District 14 All Stars (Culpeper) at Fred Moore Field
  • Saturday, July 18th- 9:00 am vs District 15 All Stars (Richmond County) at Fred Moore Field
  • Sunday, July 19th- 4:30 pm vs District 1 All Stars (Abingdon) at Joe Lund Field

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here. 

Sports Dogs Podcast: 4th of July Firecrackers

The Dogs wish you a fun and safe 4th of July!

Randy and Ryan weigh in on a number of topics, like:

  • the Nats’ bench-clearing broohaha
  • Capitals free agency
  • the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest and more!

Listen to the latest Sports Dogs Podcast HERE.

Brought to you by Energy Windows LLC. Visit Dave at 540-671-9243 or at https://energywindowsllc.com

Little League All Star season begins in the Valley

Little League All Star baseball and softball tournaments begin this week around the Shenandoah Valley.

Front Royal Little League and Warren County Girls Softball will host four district all star tournaments and one state tournament this summer.

The 10u baseball tournament will begin this Friday and will include teams from Front Royal, Frederick County, and Strasburg.

Fox Sports Radio 1450 will have coverage of the 10U district All Stars on June 15th and June 16th. 

Warren County will then host the 10U softball tournament June 15th followed by the Coach Pitch baseball and softball tournaments on June 24th.

Throughout the month of June, Woodstock-Edinburg will host the 11u,12u, and 50/70 district tournaments and Frederick County National League will welcome the Senior League All Stars.

Then starting July 16th, FRLL will welcome the top 10U teams in Virginia for the State Tournament and host the State Championship game on July 22nd.

For a link to all the district tournament brackets, click here.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

Sports Dogs Podcast: Sports Gumbo

The Sports Dogs dive into a bowl full of local sports topics including:

  • Front Royal Little League / getting ready for All Stars
  • Local High Schools in the Playoffs
  • James Wood’s spring domination
  • Mountaineer Magic on the diamond
  • Skyline’s weight room upgrades
  • Randy’s Nats outing
  • and more…

Available HERE on The River 95.3 online, iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon.

Brought to you by Energy Windows LLC, where Dave does it all! Windows, siding, gutters, roofing, and doors! Visit him at https://energywindowsllc.com or call 540-671-9243 TODAY!

Sports Dogs: Commanders unis, Goodbye Ovi, and FRLL Opening Day

The Dogs are back together and weigh in on:

  • the unveiling of the Commanders’ new uniforms
  • the (possible) end of an era for The Great Eight
  • the Duke’s memorable day at the Opening Ceremonies of Front Royal Little League

Click HERE to listen on The River 95.3 online, Spotify, Amazon Music, or iTunes.

Brought to you by Energy Windows LLC. For everything outside the home, visit Dave at http://energywindowsllc.com or call 540-671-9243.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here. 

Sports Dogs: Commanders unis, Goodbye Ovi, and FRLL Opening Day

The Dogs are back together and weigh in on:

  • the unveiling of the Commanders’ new uniforms
  • the (possible) end of an era for The Great Eight
  • the Duke’s memorable day at the Opening Ceremonies of Front Royal Little League

Click HERE to listen on The River 95.3 online, Spotify, Amazon Music, or iTunes.

Brought to you by Energy Windows LLC. For everything outside the home, visit Dave at http://energywindowsllc.com or call 540-671-9243.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here. 

Sports Dogs Podcast: Unis, Ovi, and Front Royal Little League

The Dogs are back together and weigh in on the unveiling of the Commanders’ new uniforms, the (possible) end of an era for The Great Eight, and the Duke’s memorable day at the Opening Ceremonies of Front Royal Little League. Brought to you by Energy Windows LLC. For everything outside the home, visit Dave at http://energywindowsllc.com or call 540-671-9243.