On Saturday, January 31st, the Rosemont baseball team hosted its 3rd Annual and last ever First Pitch Dinner. This event helps the Ravens kickstart their season. Over 100 people gather in the dining hall for this event which included dinner, a basket raffle, and a 50/50. This event is a great fundraising opportunity for the team as it helps them with the cost for indoor training space and their team gear. This year there were over 40 baskets that raffled off. 

Over the last few years, this event has been special to the team. It is a nice, casual event where the families of the players and coaches come to enjoy themselves just before the season starts.  It really speaks to the tight knit culture at Rosemont, especially within the baseball program. Not only are there a lot of family members, but there were numerous members of Rosemont faculty and staff that attended this year's event. This just goes to show their unwavering support for Rosemont baseball.  

When asked about the event, team Chaplain Roseann Rissmiller said, "It was wonderful to see family members, friends, staff, and faculty all come together to celebrate such a special team. Their support means everything to the players, coaches, and even myself. We want this season to be especially exciting and celebratory, and this dinner was a great way to kick things off." Professor Rissmiller has taught nearly every Raven Baseball player in the history of the program in a college writing course as well. 

The biggest part of the event is the basket raffle. Everybody gets very excited about it. Freshman Caiden Spinelli had this to say when reflecting on the event, "I had a lot of fun at the event. It was really nice to see my parents and spend time with them. They put a lot of tickets in for the baskets, and luck was on our side. We won multiple things, but the TV was my favorite thing because now I can watch all of my favorite shows in my dorm room. In all seriousness, the event was fun to be a part of, and I can see how special it is given that it was my first time." 

This was the last ever First Pitch Dinner, as Rosemont College will not hold intercollegiate athletics after this year. "This event has always been a really good way to start off our season, but this year is different. Everything just means more since it is our last season ever. Having all of the families and supporters there one last time is a really cool thing to think about. I think that this was the perfect way to kickstart our final season of not just Rosemont Baseball, but Rosemont Athletics as a whole. This was definitely a special event," said graduate player Jimmy Rodier when speaking about the event.