MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (September 30, 2019) – The championship game of the 2018 Dick’s Sporting Goods Pony League World Series that aired live on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh was awarded with a regional Emmy for excellence in television and emerging media production. The game was produced by Pikewood Sports, a division of West Virginia Radio Corporation.
The game, featuring Chinese Taipei against Long Beach, Cal., on August 15, 2018, was selected under the live sports category by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Mid-Atlantic Chapter. Chinese Taipei won the game 3-1.
The Emmy was announced and presented Saturday, September 28, at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Awards gala in Pittsburgh. Other finalists in the category include Pittsburgh Penguins NHL playoff hockey on AT&T SportsNet, Phillies baseball on NBC Sports Philadelphia, and 76ers basketball on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Dan Lohmann served as executive producer. The broadcast was produced by Roger Lenhart and directed by Scott Bartlett. Aaron Shackelford was associate producer/replay supervisor and Bill Blaker served as technical manager.
The announcers were longtime former Pittsburgh Pirate play-by-play voice Lanny Frattare and analyst Ernie Galusky. Tony Caridi served as the television host.
Other members of the crew included Becky Hardwick (graphics), Steve Stavar (camera/crew chief), Danny Corso (camera), Ray Miller (camera), Alex Kraus (camera), James Barrickman (camera), Patrick Rinehart (camera), Chris Moran (audio/drone operator), Ryan Guthrie (audio), Jon Thomas (replay), Chris Ward (IT), Colin McLaughlin (scorebug), Drew Brown (social), Gina Kinder (coordinating producer), Daphnelys de Taylor (graphic design), Hugh O’Neil (stage manager) and Rob McKinney (stage manager).
“Our nomination is a testimony to the incredible work produced by our dedicated crew,” says Lohmann who oversees the overall production. “This annual event has become a passion project for everyone involved. We’re thrilled to win in a category that included telecasts from the NBA, NHL, and Major League Baseball.”
“This is an awesome testament to the passion and dedication of the entire team at Pikewood Sports,” stated PONY Baseball and Softball President Abraham Key. “Pikewood has elevated the status of a fantastic baseball tournament and helped turn it into a first-class family baseball event. Every member of the Pikewood team is committed from the first pitch through the last out and it shows. We are very excited that they have been recognized for their efforts with a regional Emmy for excellence in television and emerging media production.”
“PIkewood Sports has helped take our event and share it with the world,” says Bob Gregg, president of World Series Tournament Inc, which manages the Pony League World Series for Pony Baseball and Softball Inc. “The Dick’s Sporting Goods Pony League World Series has never looked better than it does on-air and online. The professionalism, innovation and commitment to putting out the best look shows in every single broadcast.”
Pikewood Sports has produced video coverage of all 17 games of the Pony League World Series each year since 2015. The Pony League World Series is an international youth baseball competition for 13-14 years olds held each August in Washington, Pa. since 1952. In addition to AT&T SportsNet, games have aired on MLB.com, Eleven Sports in Taiwan, American Sports Network, Stadium and WPCW.
Pikewood has won four regional Emmy awards and has been nominated for five. Pikewood Creative, director/producer Lohmann and producer Caridi recently won an Ohio Valley regional Emmy award for the documentary “Hot Rod”, a full length film on the life of West Virginia University and NBA basketball legend Hot Rod Hundley.
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Pikewood Sports
Pikewood Sports specializes in making brands resonate through inspiring sports multimedia and advises brands in their sports marketing investments by identifying, negotiating and activating strategic partnerships. Pikewood Sports is a division of West Virginia Radio Corporation (WVRC). WVRC owns and operates the MetroNews state radio network, 32 radio stations throughout West Virginia and Maryland, and Pikewood Creative, an Emmy-award winning video production firm. Pikewood Sports has been involved in the development and production of media/marketing rights for the Pony League World Series, Mountain East Conference, NCAA Division II Football Championships, West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (high school sports), Cancer Research Classic and other national and regional events. Pikewood Creative recently received its third regional Emmy for the production of Hot Rod Hundley, a documentary on the life of the West Virginia University and NBA basketball legend. More information is available at PikewoodCreative.com.
Pony Baseball and Softball, Inc.
Pony Baseball and Softball is an international amateur youth baseball and girls softball organization, headquartered in Washington, Pa. Founded in 1951, Pony has over 500,000 annual participants ages 4-23 in baseball and girls softball. The name Pony comes from the acronym, Protect Our Nation’s Youth. Member leagues are designed as a method of community action to help young people develop into better adults through participation in organized and supervised recreation. More information is available at pony.org.
World Series Tournaments, Inc.
World Series Tournaments, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Washington, Pa., is the host for the Pony League World Series. This all volunteer group is responsible for the funding and staffing requirements of the event, along with all other related activities. WSTI solicits funding from businesses and individuals to cover expenses and invites additional volunteers and workers to handle the myriad activities in advance and during the World Series. More information is available at plws.org.