The Community-owned, Student-operated Southern Ohio Copperheads had a record breaking 2024 season. The Student directors have been working hard since January to make the season as great as it was. These students worked to increase ticket sales, social media presence, the number of community events hosted, as well as revamping the merchandise store. 

The team's attendance record was broken twice during the season. The first being opening night in which 1400 Copperhead fans filled the stands of Bob Wren Stadium. This was an incredible moment for the staff being able to already break records on the first game. This record wouldn’t sit around for long though. Community Night shattered this record by almost 600 people in which around 2000 fans came to the ballpark. This was by far the most fans that the organization has had at the stadium and the atmosphere was remarkable.

The student directors have taken great pride in the organization as well as the work that they have done to contribute. 

Director of marketing, Jamison Hirsh stated, “I had so much fun working with the other students to make this season happen. It took lots of time and hard work but it was rewarding to see everything come together.” Hirsh was in charge of merchandising for the team and he came up with multiple ways to improve the store from years before. He created new designs, new items, and had the idea to sell game-used jerseys, which were a hit with the fans. 

Sam Tedeschi, who is the Director of Stadium Operations commented, “I think the season as a whole was very fun and rewarding, but also very time-consuming. My experience was overall very positive. I enjoyed being able to connect with a lot of different locals around Athens. I also really enjoyed getting to create connections with people on the staff and players on the team.” Tedeschi was an incredible stadium operations director and none of the home games would have been possible without him being there. 

All of this adds up to being able to make Bob Wren a more fun environment for families to come watch baseball. 

Director of Sponsorships, Vince Dimora said, “The Copperheads gave me a great opportunity to get to know the Athens area outside of Ohio University and to really interact with the community. My favorite part of working with the Copperheads was getting to interact with the fans at every home game and add to their experience so they have a great time” 

The Copperheads strive to make an affordable family fun environment for residents of South East Ohio. The organization takes great pride in being able to work with over 40 local businesses. Thanks to Ohio Health as well as all the sponsors that the team has, the season was the most successful one to date. 

As the season comes to a close, the Copperheads look forward and are very optimistic about the years to come. The plan is to use this year's success as an example and the organization plans to use this momentum moving forward. The team is excited to be able to continue providing a fun environment for families and continue to make connections within the community. 

By Josh Beach

The Southern Ohio Copperheads is a community-owned, student-operated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Established in 2002, the Copperheads is a summer collegiate wooden bat baseball team that competes in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League and plays its home games at Bob Wren Stadium in Athens, OH. The Copperheads organization strives to provide the most affordable means of family-friendly outdoor entertainment in southeast OH. Tickets to the Copperheads games are $5 and children under the age of 5 receive free admission. Staffed by Ohio University students, the Southern Ohio Copperheads also serve as a “learning lab” for student interns looking to work in the sport and entertainment industry.