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Bob Baird Memorial Scholarship Games Sunday
 July 13 - The Stratford Brakettes will host a 4:00 doubleheader against the Concord (MA) Raiders on Sunday (July 14) afternoon at DeLuca Hall of Fame Field, with the Bob Baird Memorial Scholarship Award presentation to take place just before the opening pitch.
Recent Stratford High School graduate and softball player Ellie Lubas is this year's scholarship recipient. Lubas was selected to the 2023 Connecticut Class L All-State Team and served as captain of the 2024 Lady Red Devils. She will continue her softball career at Suffolk University.
Beloved Brakettes General Manager (and former Stratford High School Athletic Director) Bob Baird left an indelible legacy when he passed away on December 31, 2022. A fearless and outspoken leader, Baird led the franchise through some of the club's darkest and leanest hours.
Bob got his start on the Brakettes beat in 1967 with the weekly Stratford News, and his connection with the team never left him. He led the Women's Major Hi-Ho/ Raybestos/Stratford Brakettes under numerous sponsors (and without) as GM since 1988, after 20 years of covering the Raybestos Brakettes for the Bridgeport Post and Telegram.
Baird also oversaw the franchise's one-year NPF Connecticut Brakettes squad, while also later creating the 18U Select Brakettes and Junior Brakettes. Although the Select Team folded after two successful seasons (2021 and 2022), the Junior Brakettes remain a pivotal piece in the Brakettes Softball family.
The Concord (MA) Raiders are perennially among the top women's teams around and battled with the Brakettes twice last year on the same July weekend, with Stratford narrowly capturing both contests in come-from-behind fashion, 4-3 and 3-2.
The Stratford Brakettes are 15-1 on the season, with their lone loss coming to Team Virginia Mizuno, 2-1, in Lyons, PA, in the Championship Game of the Arlan Schwoyer Honorary Tournament.
There will also be a Junior Brakettes twinbill on Sunday at 12:00 noon against the CT Rebels, prior to the scholarship presentation.
Ten different Brakettes and Junior Brakettes, plus coaches, just completed the first annual weeklong Brakettes/Stratford PAL softball camp at DeLuca Field to great reviews, and with tremendous support from the Stratford Recreation Department. A total of 73 aspiring softball players (ages 6-14) registered for the camp, which was well-attended every day despite high heat and humidity.
The Brakettes will not charge admission on Sunday but will ask for donations to keep the Bob Baird Memorial Scholarship Fund going strong into the future. The scholarship is given to a graduating student-athlete going to college to work in an athletic field or to continue their own playing career.
If you wish to donate to the Scholarship Fund, donations will be collected at the entrance on Sunday.
To donate with Venmo: @Brakettes-Inc (please mention the Bob Baird Scholarship Fund)
Checks can be made out to “Bob Baird Memorial Scholarship Fund” and sent to:
Brakettes Softball
185 Lordship Road
Stratford, CT 06615
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