SPORTS & RECREATION | Shellin’ out family fun

A busy weekend lies ahead for Springfield’s very own Prospect League collegiate baseball team. The Springfield Sliders play in Lisle on Thursday, travel to Quincy on Friday, and then swing back to the capital city for Saturday’s 6:35 p.m. start time against the Quincy Gems. Saturday’s promotion is Educators Night, sponsored by Horace Mann. Springfield Sliders are part of the Collegiate Wood Bat Prospect League, a summer baseball league for college-aged players, founded in 2008 and featuring 11 teams. The Prospect League is managed and operated in a manner similar to minor league teams around the nation. Although the number of participating teams has fluctuated over the past eight years, the Prospect League currently contains 12 teams located all throughout the Midwest, from Hannibal, Mo., to Beckley, W.Va. Since its inception, more than 175 Prospect League players have gone on to be active on Major League Baseball rosters. For more information about the Springfield Sliders, visit http://springfieldsliders.com.