Former Number 1 Pick and Letterman To Star At All Star Game
No. 1 overall draft pick Ki-Jana Carter will trade his shoulder pads in for a bat, and Mike the Mailman will have to hope he doesn’t air-mail any throws to first base when they take the diamond next week. The two will play alongside a collection of State College icons in the Celebrity Softball Game at the 2018 New York-Penn League All-Star Game at Medlar Field.
The State College Spikes will host the All-Star Game and two days of festivities, including the Penn State-dominated celebrity softball game on Tuesday, August 14.
The two teams in the softball game will be captained by Carter and Josiah Viera, the Spikes’ honorary bench coach, a dear friend of James Franklin, and the subject of A Short Season. Viera, 14, suffers from a rare, rapid-aging disease known as Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome. In spite of his disease, his positive message and love for sports has made him an inspiration in the local community and on social media, where he has more than 1,000 Twitter followers and regularly finds Franklin in his mentions.
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In addition to Carter, the game will include fellow Penn State football veterans Blair Thomas,Wally Richardson, Rogers Alexander, Keith Conlin, Brandon Noble, Joe Rose, Yaacov Yisrael, Paul Cronin, and Brett Brackett. Former Penn State basketball players Brian Allen and Tyler Smith will also make their diamond debuts. Penn State Alumni Association CEO Paul Clifford, Penn State Athletics radio personality Jeff Byers, and other local media members round out the game’s rosters.
Admission to the softball game is included with the purchase of a ticket to the Penn League All-Star Game. Tickets can be purchased online and begin at $10. First pitch for the softball game is at 5 p.m., followed by the actual event at 7:05 p.m.
The All-Star Tailgate Gala will kick off the festivities on Monday, August 13 with a players meet-and-greet, pig roast, and complimentary Coors Light and Fireball samples. Tickets for the Tailgate Gala cost $50 and can also be purchased online.
