Severna Park Legion Baseball Honors Gold Star Families In Bowie

Warmup

Prince George’s Stadium — home of the Bowie Baysox, a Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles — was buzzing for a three-game homestand that kicked off July 14.

The weekend led off with the Bowie debut of 19-year-old shortstop Jackson Holliday — the top pick in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft — and ended with members of the Severna Park American Legion Post 175 Spartans baseball team playing for something much larger than their team.

While Holliday hit .500 for the series against the visiting Akron RubberDucks, it’s what happened after the conclusion of Sunday’s tilt that put a baseball bookend of perspective on the weekend, thanks to the help of another American treasure — Gold Star families.

According to the United Services Organizations, or USO, the term Gold Star family has World War I roots. Military families would display service flags with a blue star for every immediate family member serving. The star’s color would change to gold if the family lost a loved one in the war.

See more photos from this event.

“The coaching staff had meetings early in the season and wanted to have more involvement with the legion post and the community,” said Spartans first-year head coach Ralph Suppa, noting that his team’s coaching staff is made up of two veterans and two career fire service members who shared the vision of “never forgotten” for those killed in the line of duty and their families. “That is when we decided on the Gold Star game, and we wanted it to be a special event and worked on having it at a large stadium.”

The Severna Park team trotted onto the field of Prince George’s Stadium on a muggy Sunday afternoon following the 6-5 Baysox walk-off victory, taking in the amenities of the professional park while getting ready for their game against the team from Owings Mills Post 122.

“Guys, there’s a bathroom in the dugout,” said an excited voice while exploring the team’s area alongside third base.

Each of the Post 175 players were sporting jerseys that featured the names of four Severna Park service members who lost their lives serving their country: U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Eric Herzberg, U.S. Army Private First Class Eric Kavanagh, U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Nathaniel McDavitt and U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal William Taylor Wild IV.

First Pitches

Prior to the legion game, Post 175 players had a chance to talk to family members of three fallen service members from Severna Park.

“It puts things into perspective,” said 19-year-old Spartans shortstop Tucker McDonough, a Severna Park High School graduate who also suits up for his New York University baseball team. “You just really wanted to do everything for them.”

Three first pitches were thrown — each by a Severna Park Gold Star family member and each caught by a Post 175 senior captain. All three were on target.

Kevin Kavanagh, father of Eric Kavanagh, threw to McDonough.

Eric Kavanagh was killed in Iraq in 2006 when his Humvee was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was 20.

Kevin Kavanagh said Eric loved the water, whether it was boating, fishing, crabbing or swimming.

“He also loved playing the guitar and taught his younger brother Patrick to play guitar,” said Kevin Kavanagh, noting that Patrick released a CD with original songs 10 years following his older brother’s death under the band name of Ewe and the Kids.

The elder Kavanagh said he and his daughter, Alanna, visit Arlington National Cemetery regularly, adding the Gold Star Families Memorial Gazebo in Severna Park is also a great respite to visit.

“There is not a day in my life that something does not remind me about Eric,” Kevin Kavanagh said. “Perhaps because I still live in the house where he grew up, and so many of his things are still there, or because I continue to do all the things all the kids and I used to do together — fish, crab and boat.”

Betz Wild, mother of Taylor Wild, threw to Daniel Villegas.

Taylor Wild died during a 2013 training exercise in Nevada. He was 21.

Betz Wild said her son’s laugh was loud, his smile was big and his hug was tight.

“That is what people saw on the outside, and inside he was a quiet reader, a brave young man, a loving and nurturing brother to his younger brother and sister,” Betz Wild said. “When his sister asked what his swallow tattoo meant, he told her that swallows know how to find their way home, and he will always find his way back to her. He found a way to let us know he will be with us always.”

He was also on the 2009 Severna Park High School state championship squad. It’s only fitting his mom tossed the first pitch with her husband, Bill, watching on.

“He was also a pitcher, and he used to always go through pitching motions in the kitchen, backyard, wherever,” Betz Wild recalled. “No ball, no glove. He would just lean forward into the stretch, nod at the pretend sign from the pretend catcher, stand up, check the pretend runner, pick up his leg, arm back, throw and follow through. That’s why I started that first pitch from the stretch. That’s how I remember him a lot.”

Harrison Sudano, brother of Nathaniel McDavitt, threw to Cole Fletcher.

Nathaniel McDavitt was killed in 2016 in Afghanistan. He was 22.

Fifteen-year-old Harrison said he thinks of his brother every day — the same brother who was an Eagle Scout, outdoor lover and former athlete for Severna Park High School. And his brother’s hero.

“I wanted to do my best out here and honor my brother with my pitch,” Harrison said.

Harrison also tossed the first pitch on Memorial Day at an Orioles game where O’s third baseman Gunnar Henderson caught the toss. He said honoring his brother’s spirit is something he’ll always relish.

“He wanted to help others,” Harrison said.

The game

The Severna Park American Legion Post 175 Spartans put three runs up before the number under the letter H on the digital scoreboard had to be switched.

“We made it clear to the players before they agreed to come play with us that we are team-first mentality,” Suppa said. “Every player on the team knew from the start they might have to lay down a bunt or a sacrifice if it was going to benefit the team over their stats. They had to know and believe that their teammates would do the same for them, even if the person was the best hitter at the time.”

While small-ball fundamentals gathered up a small cushion for the Spartans, along with a solid starting outing by Severna Park’s Sam Ross, a seven-run fourth inning by the Severna Park squad, followed up in the next frame by an inside-the-park home run by McDonough, put any hope of a comeback for Owings Mill to rest.

“When I saw the left fielder’s number, I knew it was over his head,” McDonough, who also notched a double in a four-RBI effort, said of his baseball rarity. “The stadium is beautiful, and to do it in this game that means so much is special.”

Ross pitched three innings to pick up the win, giving up just a solo hit and striking out four. Ross, who suits up for the Anne Arundel Community College team, also provided a hit, two runs and three stolen bases, a third of the team’s total, on the evening.

“We were planning to be really aggressive on the basepaths,” Ross said.

Owings Mill Post 122 scrapped together a lone run in their final at-bat, but it was far from enough to close the wide gap, and Severna Park Post 175 ended the season with a 13-1 victory, and an 8-6-1 record on the season.

Suppa said while the team fell short of their goal to compete for a state championship and beyond this season, wrapping up the slate in Bowie was “a blast.”

“You could feel the energy and excitement in both dugouts,” Suppa said. “What brought me the most joy was how the team was smiling and joking around while still staying focused during the game.”

Severna Park Post 175’s Matthew Smith, a senior at Severna Park High School who was the team’s workhouse on the mound this season, pitched the final three innings of the game for the Spartans, striking out five while giving up a pair of hits and a run.

“It’s fun. It shows the respect they have for legion in general that they let us play on this field,” Smith said. “Makes you want to play a little better.”

Extra innings

It’s the original travel ball.

That’s how Severna Park Post 175 assistant coach Greg Coster describes legion baseball.

Costa, who also presented the Severna Park Gold Star families with a donation of $1,000 from his Severna-Park based Big Bean business, said the team finished on a high note, hitting a groove later in the season.

This season’s U19 legion squad drew on players from eight schools, both public and private — the largest pool of schools Post 175 has pulled from.

“The immediate bonds formed, from rivals during the school season to teammates in a few weeks’ time, was amazing to watch,” Suppa said.

The history of the team he helms isn’t lost on Suppa. He realizes the likes of former Major League Baseball players like Mark Teixeira and Gavin Floyd have suited up with the same three numbers on their jersey — 175.

Suppa said his dugout atmosphere is derived from a mashup of culture and mottos from the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team, the San Antonio Spurs of hardwood fame and U.S. Army Major Dick Winters, best known from the “Band of Brothers” book and adaptation.

The Spartans head coach has binders for each jersey that include sections on topics such as team culture, drills, essays from players that wore that jersey number in the past, a section dedicated to Gold Star families and letters from MLB players who have played for Post 175.

The goals for next season are simple for Suppa.

“For the players to end the season and look back saying, ‘That was the most fun I’ve had playing baseball,’” Suppa said. “We look to build a family atmosphere. We want to be playing in the state tournament for a championship and beyond.”

Tryouts for legion baseball will start in April for the Severna Park team, with games beginning in the first week of June.

Suppa aims to have the Bowie game become an annual event, with the potential of it morphing into a tournament with multiple teams and games to benefit Gold Star families.

“I think seeing the families and talking with them helped the players understand the importance of the event,” Suppa said. “We, as coaches, try to explain and share our experiences, but when you're talking with the families, the message just holds more power.”