For the love of the game.

I know the phrase is often overused at times, but in this case, it’s not.

What do former high school and college baseball players do to bypass their time after their prep and collegiate playing days are behind them?

Simple. They play in the Ohio Valley Baseball League.

The Barton Braves Baseball Club has been around for quite some time, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

With a roster dotted with several players who have double-digit tenures in the more-than-century-old OVBL, the Braves are the oldest team – by far – among the eight that competed this season.

“This is definitely not a hobby to us,” explained Barton player/manager Mike Kolvek, who also doubles as the league commissioner. “It’s a passion that we have for the game. We all love the comaraderie and every time you step on the field, you feel like a little kid again.”

But, they’re definitely not little kids anymore.

In fact, out of the 17 players listed on the Braves’ roster, only one – Charlie Bishop – is a full-time college student. He studies pre-med at The Ohio State University.

The remaining 16 players have a combined 125 years of OVBL experience, with three performers roaming area diamonds for the past 15 seasons. They include Joel Atkinson, Tom Pasco and Kirk Smolenak.

And, between them, the squad has four players who have earned their master’s degrees and a fifth who is working on his.

Tonight the Braves will try to capture the OVBL title, something that has eluded them for the past four seasons.

“Sure we’d like to win it,” Kolvek said. “But our main goal for running this league is to keep it going for guys like Joe and Phil Niekro who played in this league years ago; Gene Cattane; Jim Baugh Sr.; Jim Baugh Jr.; Bo McConnaughy and Steve Wojcik to just name a few.”

He said those aforementioned guys played back when the league was in its glory days when it had 20 teams.

The OVBL may have only had eight teams compete this season, but if the older guys stick around a few more years and a group of up-and-coming ‘oldtimers’ join, the league could once again realize the golden days of yesteryear.

North can be reached at knorth@timesleaderonline.com