In brief: Opening Day for Rec & Ed baseball, Justin Verlander's parents signing books in Ann Arbor and more

Posted on Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 10:21 a.m.

Paws throws the first pitch at last year's Opening Day celebration for the Ann Arbor Rec & Ed youth baseball league. The Detroit Tigers mascot will make a return appearance on Saturday, June 16.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

Ann Arbor Rec & Ed is hosting its second annual youth baseball Opening Day celebration at Veterans Park on Saturday, June 16.

The day will include a parade of athletes and Detroit Tigers mascot Paws will be in the park, located at the corner of Maple and Jackson roads, for photos and visits with guests from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. He will also throw out the ceremonial first pitch at 9:45 a.m.

Kimberly Ringer from the band All Directions will sing the national anthem and lead the crowd in 'Take Me out to the Ball Game' while Dashing Dogs will sell hot dogs, potato chips and drinks, with a portion of proceeds being donated to the Rec & Ed Youth Sports Scholarship Fund.

The event is free and open to the public.

Parents of Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander signing books in Ann Arbor

Richard and Kathy Verlander, the parents of Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, will sign copies of their book 'Rocks Across the Pond' from 6-8 p.m. Monday at Barnes & Noble in Ann Arbor.

The book tells the story of raising Justin and younger son, Ben, starting in the family's front lawn, where father and son threw their first pitch together, to Comerica Park in Detroit, where Justin pitched in the World Series.

In a release, the Verlanders say the book "was written in hopes that other parents raising young athletes can gain something from our experience and look back as we have, knowing that baseball is a great metaphor for life and that lessons learned last a lifetime."

Huron Basketball/Volleyball Camp

The Huron High School girls basketball and volleyball programs will put on a combination camp from June 18-21 at the school’s gymnasium. The four-day camp will be split between basketball (9 a.m. to noon) and volleyball (1 to 4 p.m.) with a one-hour lunch and open gym time in between. The cost is $225 for Ann Arbor students. A half-day price of $125 is available if students choose one sport. Registration is available on the Ann Arbor Rec & Ed website.

Father Gabriel Richard girls basketball camp

The tenth annual Father Gabriel Richard Women’s Summer Basketball Camp runs from June 17-21 at the school’s gymnasium. Campers should be entering sixth through ninth grades in the 2012-13 school year. The cost is $130 if registered before June 1, $140 after. Contact Katie Battle at battlema@msu.edu for information.

Arbor Prep Girls Basketball Camp

Arbor Prep High School is holding a girls basketball camp for fourth through eighth graders on June 25-28 at the school, 6800 Hitchingham in Ypsilanti. The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day and includes hot dogs, ice cream, performance training speakers and former college players. All skill levels are welcome. A camp meet-and-greet will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on June 24. For more information, contact Rod Wells at 734-262-1196 or dewrod99@comcast.net or Scott Stine at 231-638-7116 or stine@arborprep.com. Only the first 40 will be accepted.

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