Pottsville Area Little League returns with a renovated Railway Park

On Friday night, Pottsville Area Little League made its season debut at its home base, Railway Park, with bright new field lights, freshly painted dugouts and a state-of-the-art practice facility.

Since November 2025, the beloved baseball field on First Avenue, which dates back to the 1960s, has been undergoing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of renovations.

The upgrades have been a long-time coming — Bill Anderson, PALL’s information and fundraising officer, says the league has been working towards the transformation for about five years.

Little League is a few weeks into the season, but Friday night’s double-header was PALL’s first time playing at their new-and-improved park. The night began with a ceremony celebrating the achievement.

“Today we gather to celebrate not just a field, but a place woven into the fabric of Pottsville,” Gary Brennan said. “On this field, thousands of children have taken their first swing, learned the value of teamwork, and experienced both the thrill of victory and the lessons of defeat.”

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PALL players cheer one another on before their first game at the upgraded Railway Park. (OLIVIA SCHLINKMAN/STAFF PHOTO)

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PALL players waste no time in starting to play after Friday night’s opening ceremony. (OLIVIA SCHLINKMAN/STAFF PHOTO)

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The sun peaks through over Railway Park at Friday night’s opening ceremony. (OLIVIA SCHLINKMAN/STAFF PHOTO)

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PALL players cheer one another on before their first game at the upgraded Railway Park. (OLIVIA SCHLINKMAN/STAFF PHOTO)

Upgrades galore

Railway Park now features sturdy new dugouts painted in red and black. The backstop was replaced and a storage shed has been constructed.

A new sound system delivers booming calls from the press box, which features a new roof, and LED field lights installed by Orwigsburg-based Redtail Solar now illuminate the field at night.

Perhaps most notable is the construction of an entirely new building just beyond left field — a 90-by-50-foot indoor practice facility.

The heated facility provides a space for players to practice year-round, no matter the outside temperature or weather conditions. Inside are three of “the most advanced hit tracks, batting and pitching systems currently available,” Brennan said.

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The newly built PALL indoor practice facility at Railway Park. (OLIVIA SCHLINKMAN/STAFF PHOTO)

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Batting and pitching systems within PALL’s brand-new indoor practice facility. (OLIVIA SCHLINKMAN/STAFF PHOTO)

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The newly built PALL indoor practice facility at Railway Park. (OLIVIA SCHLINKMAN/STAFF PHOTO)

Anderson said PALL was able to accomplish more projects than originally planned for the last few months. For example, the outfield fence was replaced with an eight-foot-tall one and extra landscaping was added.

That landscaping includes nine budding saplings planted in honor of Braelynn Kustmeda, the 9-year-old T-baller from Port Carbon who died in March.

In the spring, the trees, which border the outfield, bloom white and pink — one of Braelynn’s favorite colors.

Growth and commitment

Friday night’s opening ceremony reminded Pottsville that it takes a village.

PALL emphasized that the facility’s transformation would not have been possible without its local sponsors, which include Redtail Solar, Pioneer Pole Buildings LLC, Diamond Dave, B&H Landscaping, JPL Emergency Services and CACL Financial.

Thanks to an $11,000 donation from CACL Financial, Railway Park was able to purchase a brand-new digital scoreboard, which stands just beyond right field.

Chris Nabholz, a former major league pitcher, was chosen to throw Friday night’s ceremonial first pitch. Nabholz played at Railway Park back in the day, before going on to pitch for the Montreal Expos, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs in the 1990s.

“It’s a long time coming, it’s beautiful,” Nabholz said of the park’s upgrades. “It’s something that I think everybody was hoping would happen, and with the right people, these donations, it happened.”

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Chris Nabholtz, a PALL alumnus who played in the major leagues, throws the 2026 ceremonial first pitch. (OLIVIA SCHLINKMAN/STAFF PHOTO)

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Nine trees are planted in honor of Braelynn Kustmeda, the 9-year-old T-baller from Port Carbon who died in March.(OLIVIA SCHLINKMAN/STAFF PHOTO)

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The sponsors of Railway Park’s many updates are recognized at Friday night’s opening ceremony. (OLIVIA SCHLINKMAN/STAFF PHOTO)

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Chris Nabholtz, a PALL alumnus who played in the major leagues, throws the 2026 ceremonial first pitch. (OLIVIA SCHLINKMAN/STAFF PHOTO)

To the players standing where he once stood on the Railway Park Field, he had this piece of advice:

“No matter what they’re dreaming, whether it’s baseball, being a surgeon, being a lawyer,” Nabholz said, “you’ve gotta be able to accept failure to get better.”

Blake Harrison, No. 18, had the honor of catching the first pitch, which was later signed by the PALL alum-turned-major-leaguer.

Nabholz went big — but at the end of the day, he remains true to Pottsville, now working as a dean at D.H.H. Lengel Middle School.

Much like Nabholtz, Railway Park has undergone a sleek transformation — but PALL says its mission remains the same.

“With modern improvements and renewed commitment,” Brennan said, “Railway Park stands ready to serve the next generation of athletes and families.”