By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
College baseball players from nearby and all around the country will be converging in Great Bend this month as the Great Bend Bat Cats get set for year nine. Like every year, the young men will need a place to call home for two months of the summer.
Bat Cats General Manager Roger Ward said while host families are essential for the baseball team, the families often find the experience very rewarding too.
"Until you have done it, you don't realize what you can get out of it as well," said Ward. "There have been families with young kids. There have been retired couples that have hosted. Many of them have kept in touch with the players and vice versa."
As of Wednesday, Ward noted he is working to find living arrangements for 12 more players. While providing a bed and access to a bathroom are needed, Ward said the involvement for each host family is their choice.
"They need a safe place to stay, a spot they can groom themselves and rest," said Ward. "These guys like to go out and eat on their own. They're out in the community. They support businesses. They like to eat together and do their own thing."
If you or someone you know is willing to be a host family, contact Ward at 620-282-8159 or email him at gb.batcats.ks@gmail.com.