YAKIMA, Wash. -- Talk about hitting a home run.

At Tuesday's home opener for the Yakima Bears, Yakima School District's retiring Superintendent Ben Soria will receive the first Ready by Five Children's Champion Award.

Soria, 68, is slated to accept the award during the opening ceremonies at Yakima County Stadium.

Soria, who came to the Yakima School District in 2000, is being recognized for his nine years of service as well as making early learning a priority in order to increase kindergarten readiness --
and overall quality of life -- for children in Yakima.

Soria served on Ready by Five's Board of Directors since its inception and has played a key role in the planning for the Educare East Yakima Early Learning Center, slated to begin construction next spring.

Ready by Five is a new early- learning program primarily funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Thrive by Five Washington. Ready by Five aims to prepare children from birth to 5 years old in east Yakima for kindergarten.

And as if that wasn't exciting enough, former Seattle Mariner and baseball great Edgar Martinez is slated to throw the first pitch. The game starts at 7:05 p.m.