Life has been hectic the past several months for Aberdeen native Jai Lewis.
There was the Final Four run of his George Mason basketball team, the excitement of college graduation, and then the signing of a free-agent contract with the NFL?s New York Giants.
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This past Friday, Lewis turned to baseball, taking the mound at Ripken Stadium to help his hometown IronBirds celebrate their home opener by throwing out the first pitch.
“I feel honored.” Lewis said. “I was trying to get [my throw] to home plate.”
And Lewis had a lot of people watching, as Friday?s game against the Brooklyn Cyclones drew a soldout crowd of 6,426.
“That was the biggest crowd I ever played in front of,” said Chad Thall, a 2005 draft pick from Jefferson College in St. Louis, Mo. Thall pitched three innings of relief to get the victory in the IronBirds? 2-1 win.
“I love the atmosphere here, the fans are great,” Thall said. “It?s great playing in front of a lot of people.”
“I?ve talked to many people who have played here, and they say it?s the best place to play,” added outfielder Danny Figueroa, another 2005 draft pick.
Aberdeen won the game with a two-run double from designated hitter Chris Vinyard in the bottom of the sixth inning.
“To knock them both in was great,” saidVinyard, who also had heard great things about Aberdeen. “You get a ton of fans, and the stadium is second-to-none.”
“I?m from Arizona, where we have the Cactus League,” he added. “I don?t think anything can compare to this stadium here.”
