Ceremonial first pitch

The ceremonial first ball is a longstanding ritual of American baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from his/her place in the grandstand to the pitcher or catcher of the home team, but the ritual changed after Ronald Reagan threw the first pitch on the field at an unscheduled appearance at a Baltimore Orioles game. Now, the guest stands in front of the pitcher's mound and throws towards the home plate. He or she may also sometimes stand on the mound (as a pitcher would). The recipient of the pitch is usually a player from the home team.

The ceremonial thrower may be a notable person (dignitary, celebrity, former player, etc.) who is in attendance, an executive from a company that sponsors the team (especially when that company has sponsored that night's promotional giveaway), or a person who won the first pitch opportunity as a contest prize. Often, especially in the minor leagues, multiple first pitches are made.

Podcasts:

PLAYLIST TIME:

Latest News for: first pitch

UA strong at plate, extends win streak

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 15 Feb 2025
"I liked the approach we had throughout, from the first pitch to last ... Arkansas jumped on starting left-handed pitcher Ryleigh Shull early with five runs in the top of the first inning ... It was the first of 10 hits for the Razorbacks.

No. 12 Oregon baseball earns dominant 9-2 victory over Toledo on Opening Day

Daily Emerald 15 Feb 2025
“I thought he pitched well,” Wasikowski said ... It’s not uncommon for a team’s offense to start slower than its pitching, so the game’s 22 total strikeouts weren’t a total surprise, but still an obvious storyline of the first game of the season.

COLLEGE BASEBALL: Wranglers drop doubleheader against Seward County Community College

Odessa American 15 Feb 2025
“I thought we pitched the ball well today,” Seward County Community College head coach Mike Davidson ... Odessa College Foundation Board Chair and First Basin President and CEO Shem Culpepper throws the ceremonial first pitch Friday at Wrangler Ballpark.

Takeaways as No. 10 Florida baseball blanks Air Force in season opener

News Herald - Panama City 15 Feb 2025
Sophomore starter Liam Peterson (1-0) pitched six shutout innings to earn ... First pitch for the first game is scheduled for 1 p.m., with the second game scheduled an hour after the end of the first game.

Two former Rebels pace Vols to easy season-opening win

Chatanooga Times Free Press 15 Feb 2025
It was 47 degrees at Doyle's first pitch, a whopping 51 degrees cooler than for Zander Sechrist's first pitch of last June's third and deciding game of the College World Series finals in Omaha, Nebraska.

UNCP roundup: Pitching dominant in Braves’ doubleheader sweep of Shepherd

The Robesonian 15 Feb 2025
Hayden Davis came on to pinch hit in the Braves’ seventh and laced the first pitch he saw into the right-field corner for a leadoff triple, before coming home to score on Blake Hinson’s sacrifice fly to tie the score at 2-2.

College baseball: UC Irvine, Long Beach State win openers, Cal State Fullerton postponed

Press Telegram 15 Feb 2025
We were able to score first and Suarez pitched well until the fourth, but he gave us a chance to stabilize things early,” UCI coach Ben Orloff said ... first pitch for Sunday and Monday set for 1 p.m.

Both UA starters pitch well

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 15 Feb 2025
Gaeckle, matched up against crafty right-hander Griffin Smith, came away with a no-decision for his work in the 3-2 opener, while Root departed with a 9-1 lead after his 8-strikeout performance and notched his first Arkansas win.

Aiva Arquette, late-game homers lift Oregon State baseball to season-opening win over Xavier

The Oregonian 15 Feb 2025
After putting five runners on base and scoring a run over the first 1 1/3 innings, Oregon State’s bats disappeared ... Krieg crushed a 2-1 pitch into the left field bullpen and Weber clubbed a 1-1 fastball high onto the hill in center.

Jamie Arnold dazzles in Florida State baseball's opening day win over James Madison

Tallahassee Democrat 15 Feb 2025
Arnold was electric, flashing a mix of offspeed pitches ... Redshirt freshman Gage Harrelson reached on an error in the first inning before stealing second and eventually moving to third on a wild pitch.

Oregon baseball showcases depth in 2025 season-opening win vs. Toledo

Statesman Journal 15 Feb 2025
A roundup of dates and first pitch times for the Oregon Ducks 2025 baseball season. All preseason, Oregon baseball coach Mark Wasikowski stressed how he believed the Ducks, which returned depth in its lineup and pitching staff, could perform in 2025.

Rally and rout

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 15 Feb 2025
Helfrick crossed home plate on a wild pitch to tie it before Iredale lifted an 0-2 offering to Cole Watterson, whose throw home was off line as the crowd erupted ... He allowed 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 on 70 pitches.

Tennessee baseball, loaded again, is eager to turn attention toward a 2025 repeat | Estes

Knox News 15 Feb 2025
Aaron Combs — the former UT pitcher who’d recorded the final out of last season’s championship in Omaha against Texas A&M — was on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Friday’s opener against Hofstra.

Nebraska softball slugs 10 home runs, outscores opponents 30-1 in doubleheader sweep

York News-Times 15 Feb 2025
The Huskers surrendered the game’s first run, a first-inning RBI single, before scoring 20 unanswered runs and pitching 10 innings of scoreless softball to close out the day ... pitched scoreless innings.

No. 7 Oregon State baseball vs. Xavier Musketeers: Preview, starting lineup, how to watch season opener

The Oregonian 15 Feb 2025
The Beavers enter the 2025 season with with a new pitching rotation, new closer, loads of new faces in the lineup but the same old sky-high expectations ... Pregame starts 30 minutes before the first pitch.
×