Boston College baseball announced on Wednesday that its sixth annual ALS Awareness Game, played in honor of former captain Pete Frates will take place at Fenway Park against NC State on Sat., April 22. It represents a sort of homecoming for Frates, who went 4-for-4 with a home run and won Beanpot MVP in the same stadium nearly 11 years ago.
Tickets can be purchased for $10 on the Red Sox team website or at the gate on game day. All proceeds benefit the Pete Frates #3 Fund, which covers medical costs not paid for by health care.
The ACC matchup will recognize Frates, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2012, as well as Chris Combs, who played for the Wolfpack from 1994-97 and was diagnosed last May. In the summer of 2014, Frates popularized the viral Ice Bucket Challenge, which raised $220 million for ALS research and brought increased awareness to the disease.
The game also marks the first time that the Eagles have played at Fenway outside of the Beanpot Tournament, in which they hold a 25-10-1 record. But the Red Sox have a long history of working with Frates to spread awareness of the disease.
In 2015, the team played an exhibition game against BC during which all players wore No. 3 to commemorate Frates’s fight against the disease. That same year, the organization signed Frates to a one-day contract in front of thousands of fans at Fenway.
“We are very lucky to have such a great relationship with the Red Sox to allow us to play at the historic Fenway Park,” head coach Mike Gambino said in a press release. “Even though we have played there a good amount, this game is even more special because we are honoring Pete. The Red Sox have done so much for Pete and the Frates family in the last five years.”
Last month, Frates was given the NCAA Inspiration Award, hand-delivered to his home in Beverly, Mass., by none other than NCAA President Mark Emmert. It was the latest in a long line of distinctions for Frates that shows no signs of stopping soon.
“Any time we can gather and do something to help the ALS community, to help Pete, we jump at that opportunity,” captain Bobby Skogsbergh said in a video provided by BCEagles.com.
Featured Image by Alec Greaney / Heights Editor
