Autism Awareness Baseball Challenge features 40 teams and more than 600 players

The 10th annual Autism Awareness Baseball Challenge, featuring 40 high school teams from across the state, including five who are ranked among the Top 20 in New Jersey, will take place this weekend at North Brunswick’s Community Park.

Admission is free to all 20 of the games (complete schedule below). A ceremonial first pitch – thrown by a special needs child or someone who works with special needs children – will take place before the start each contest.

The event, sponsored by the Teamwork Unlimited Foundation, an Edison-based nonprofit whose mission is to help those in need, is designed to heighten awareness about autism, the nation’s fastest growing developmental disorder.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the identified prevalence of autism spectrum disorders nationally has increased from 1 in 110 to 1 in 68 since the Autism Awareness Baseball Challenge was first held a decade ago. One in 45 children in New Jersey – 62 percent of who are boys – are on the autism spectrum. Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder that impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It's broad spectrum of characteristics range from severe detached and isolated behavior to extreme verbal and hypersensitive behavior.

READ: Autism Awareness Challenge has added meaning for Sayreville

Mike Garlatti, a Major League scout for the Colorado Rockies who previously served as an assistant coach at Rutgers University, founded the Autism Awareness Baseball Challenge. Garlatti has a son on the autism spectrum.

This year’s event includes teams from as far north as Sussex County and as far south as Atlantic County.

Players will forgo their school colors to wear specially designed Autism Awareness jerseys with numbers on the back during the event. Many players will wear those jerseys to school the day before the Autism Awareness Baseball Challenge commences to stimulate conversation about autism among classmates and faculty.

READ: Autism Awareness Baseball Challenge hits home for players and alumni

Last month, players participating in the challenge convened at a reception at Edison High School to continue the annual Autism Awareness Baseball Challenge tradition of exchanging "autographed" colored puzzle pieces. The players previously asked relatives, friends, teachers and classmates to sign the puzzle pieces in exchange for a donation to The Teamwork Unlimited Foundation. The colored puzzle pieces are symbolic of autism. Those diagnosed with the disorder – puzzling for it has no known cause – are as varied as the colors of a rainbow, reflecting the multi-colored puzzle piece symbol that has universally been adopted to promote autism awareness.

Participating teams have traditionally put their own spin on the event’s fundraising component. For the second consecutive year Sayreville players collected donations at home varsity basketball games and Rahway players sold specially designed autism awareness bands. Each of the last three years, the Teamwork Unlimited Foundation has presented a special award to the top fundraising program, an honor which most recently went to Somerville after it raised nearly $1,700 last spring.

For more information, visit http://www.teamworkunlimitedfoundation.com/

10th Annual Autism Awareness Baseball Challenge Schedule

(all games at North Brunswick’s Community Park)

Friday, April 21

East Brunswick Tech vs. Perth Amboy Tech, 4 p.m.

Jackson vs. East Brunswick, 4 p.m.

Pope John vs. St. Joseph (Metuchen), 7 p.m.

North Brunswick vs. Bernards, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 22

Middlesex vs. South Hunterdon, 10 a.m.

Sayreville vs. Hudson Catholic, 10 a.m.

South Plainfield vs. Millburn, 1 p.m.

South River vs. Verona, 1 p.m.

Holy Spirit vs. St. Joseph (Montvale), 4 p.m.

Metuchen vs. Weehawken, 4 p.m.

Red Bank Catholic vs. Delbarton, 7 p.m.

Steinert vs. Barnegat, 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 23

Dunellen vs. Rahway, 10 a.m.

Spotswood vs. Robbinsville, 10 a.m.

Colonia vs. Governor Livingston, 1 p.m.

Edison vs. North Hunterdon, 1 p.m.

Christian Brothers Academy vs. Westfield, 4 p.m.

Somerville vs. J.P. Stevens, 4 p.m.

Old Bridge vs. St. Peter’s Prep, 7 p.m.

Hillsborough vs. Elizabeth, 7 p.m.