STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Less than a week remains until the baseball world descends upon Happy Valley for the event of the summer in Central PA, the 2018 New York-Penn League All-Star Game presented by the Central PA Convention & Visitors Bureau and a jam-packed slate of events is set to fill a two-day extravaganza.
(Photo courtesy of State College Spikes)
All-Star festivities get underway with the 2018 NYPL All-Star Tailgate Gala presented by Reinhart Foodservice. The All-Star Tailgate Gala will present the chance to meet and greet local legends and NYPL All-Stars under the lights at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on Monday, August 13. The gala event will take a Happy Valley specialty and kick it up a notch, with plenty of games, musical entertainment and delicious food and beverages.
Tickets to the All-Star Tailgate Gala are available for $50, with the chance to mingle with All-Stars, legends and celebrities at this one-of-a-kind event, which will take place from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Monday night before baseball’s future stars hit the field for Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
Complimentary Coors Light will be available throughout the evening, in addition to the opportunity to sample Fireball cinnamon whiskey from a unique ballpark location. Plus, tailgate carving stations from Reinhart Foodservice and a delicious buffet from Professional Sports Catering featuring a pig roast will be available with your All-Star Tailgate Gala ticket, as well as complimentary cinnamon-roasted almonds, cashews and pecans from Nuts For You.
The All-Star slate of activities continues on Tuesday, August 14, when a full itinerary accompanies the day of the All-Star Game, pitting representatives from the Spikes and six other NYPL teams on the South squad against the seventh northernmost teams in the league on the North squad. Gates will open at 3 p.m., with the first 1,000 fans receiving an All-Star Koozie presented by the Central PA Convention & Visitors Bureau.
As the gates open, fans can watch the South squad taking infield and batting practice from 3:00 to 3:50 p.m. While the South All-Stars are on the field, the North All-Stars will be available for autographs on the concourse. The two teams will then switch places, with the North squad on the field for infield and battings practice and the South All-Stars available for autographs from 4:00 to 4:50 p.m.
Fans will then be able to experience the Celebrity Softball Game beginning at 5 p.m., as gridiron legend Ki-Jana Carter captains one team against Spikes bench coach Josiah Viera’s team. Legends like Blair Thomas, Wally Richardson, Brandon Noble, Keith “Goon” Conlin and more will participate in the contest, along with former pros Jordan Hill and Jaqua Parker.
Media luminaries such as “Sports Central” radio host and Altoona Mirror sportswriter Cory Giger, WTAJ-TV morning anchor K.C. Kantz, NEWSRADIO 1390 WRSC “Morning Guys” co-host Jeff “Ironhead” Byers, WJAC-TV sports reporter Candace Martino, Brittany Wier of WHVL-TV and 93.7 THE BUS morning radio host/Spikes public address announcer Jeff Brown will also be playing in this fun, one-of-a-kind event.
The Spikes and the New York-Penn League will also present the induction ceremonies for the NYPL Hall of Fame Class of 2018 on the field during the evening.
The schedule of activities then comes to the centerpiece, the 2018 New York-Penn League All-Star Game presented by the Central PA Convention & Visitors Bureau. Players from the North and South All-Stars will be introduced to the crowd before the game, and the first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Fans can also take part in the Mystery Autographed Ball Auction, which, along with Spikes 50/50 Raffle for the night, will benefit the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation. Plus, the finals of the Myrtle Beach Relay will take place, with the winning fan receiving a vacation getaway to beautiful Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, presented by VisitMyrtleBeach.com.
After the game, the skies will light up with a Spike-tacular All-Star FIREWORKS show, presented by the Central PA Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Great seats for the 2018 New York-Penn League All-Star Game presented by the Central PA Convention & Visitors Bureau are still available and can be purchased by calling (814) 272-1711 or by visiting the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park Ticket Office in person. Ticket Office hours are 9 a.m. to the end of the game on game days Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to the end of the game on game days Saturday and Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on non-game days Monday through Friday.
Fans can also buy and download tickets for the NYPL All-Star Game and the NYPL All-Star Tailgate Gala by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.
More information on the 2018 New York-Penn League All-Star Game presented by the Central PA Convention & Visitors Bureau is available on the All-Star Central page at StateCollegeSpikes.com.
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