BC ALS Awareness Game Set for Fenway Park

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BC ALS Awareness Game Set for Fenway Park

The Eagles host No. 17 Florida State

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Boston College baseball team will host its Seven Annual ALS Awareness Game at Fenway Park on Saturday, April 21 at 3 p.m. The game, played in honor of former captain Pete Frates, who was diagnosed with ALS in March 2012, will feature an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup against 17^th-ranked Florida State, and will be televised on ESPNU.

Tickets, which are $10 general admission, also include admission to the first game of the day when Xaverian Brothers High School will take on St. John’s Prep at 10:30 a.m. Frates is a St. John’s Prep alum and the school named the baseball field in his honor. Current sophomore Jacob Yish also attended St. John’s, as did Frates’ brother, Andrew, who is now the junior varsity baseball coach.

All ticket proceeds benefit the Pete Frates Home Health Initiative, a pilot program of the ALS Association, working with its Massachusetts Chapter to provide in-home care-giving assistance for Massachusetts residents living with ALS who cannot otherwise pay for services.

Before the start of the game, Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Last summer, Governor Baker signed legislation to recognize and honor the contributions of Frates and his family and raise awareness and resources for those battling ALS. Governor Baker, in accordance with the new statute, proclaimed the first week of August as the annual Ice Bucket Challenge Week.

Anna Kathryn Bymaster, a 13-year-old from Tennessee, will be singing the National Anthem.

Before the game, there is a pregame fundraising event at the Baseball Tavern on Boylston Street, beginning at noon. Entry to the event is a ticket to the game.

Along with the ESNPU broadcast, the game can also be viewed on the WatchESPN app. Jon Sciambi, a 1992 BC graduate, Kyle Peterson, Eduardo Perez and Molly McGrath, a 2011 BC graduate, will be on the call. McGrath’s father, Michael, has dedicated his life to researching a cure for ALS.

This is the second year the Eagles will hold their annual ALS Awareness Game at Fenway. BC has won four times when playing in the Annual ALS Awareness Game, including the last three consecutive years (2017, 2016, 2015, 2012).

Frates was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at 27 years old. Since then, he, along with his family and friends, have worked tirelessly to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for the disease. In the summer of 2014, Frates championed the Ice Bucket Challenge through the use of social media. Along with the amount of awareness brought to ALS, over $220 million was raised to help find a cure. In November 2016, Frates was named the recipient of the NCAA Inspiration Award.

A Beverly, Mass. native, Frates played in the outfield for the Maroon and Gold from 2004-2007. As captain his senior year, he finished his BC career with 107 starts, a .228 average, 88 hits, 56 RBIs, 11 home runs and 34 stolen bases.

To learn more about Frates, visit www.petefrates.com.