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USPBL in need of more families to host players this season

Posted at 2:50 PM, Mar 23, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-23 16:56:16-04

We all know Tigers Opening Day is right around the corner, but the United Shores Professional Baseball league — or USPBL — is also getting ready to start a new season. It’s a league full of players hoping to make it to the majors, but right now they’re in a need of a little extra help from the community in order to get there.

The community and the fans are a large part of any teams’ success. But in the USPBL, that is especially true. Many of the players rely on host families to help them through the season, but right now, there’s just not enough to go around.

"As a pitcher I’m kind of on the brink from being an any ball career player and getting picked up so it allows me to train a lot more which helps me perfect my craft a little bit more," says right handed pitcher Josh Mason.

Mason is from Virginia, and like almost all of his teammates, he wants to play major league baseball. This offseason he stayed with a host family, allowing him to continue his training here in Michigan.

"It allows us to pocket a bit more money, it allows us a stable home to come back to, you get some peace and quiet sometimes so it definitely helps out a lot," explains Mason.

Sandy Wilton has been hosting USPBL players since the league’s inaugural season.

"I called the league when I saw the ballpark going up and said ‘I’d like to take a player for the year’ and they didn’t have a program at the time, but slowly they got it started. They gave me a player and the first year we had three host families, last year we had I think 18 and then this year, we’re nearly thirty," says Wilton.

The growth of the program has been great, but they still need more help.

"It’s really important to the players to come and be supported from out of state. Sometimes it’s the players first time in Michigan. So they come and get placed with a family and they’re supported at the ballpark and they’re supported at home," Wilton explains

Wilton says it’s just as rewarding for her family as it is for the players she hosts.

 "Being a host family is more than just giving back to the players. It helps the family. It helps the kids in the household. I have a kid now that is now part of the extended family," she says.

For more information on how you could become a USPBL host family, visit their website here.