The Washington Nationals held their 2nd annual College Rivalry Day on Wednesday, June 29 when they hosted the defending National League champion New York Mets. Over 500 Washington DC area UVA alumni, students, parents, and fans gathered at Nationals Park to celebrate the Commonwealth Cup Rivalry and cheer on former UVA baseball star Ryan Zimmerman, Racing President Tom, and our NL East division leading Washington Nationals.
The Commonwealth Cup Rivalry was featured throughout the game. Former UVA Offensive Tackle Morgan Moses and former Virginia Tech Cornerback Kendall Fuller (current Washington Redskins teammates) threw out ceremonial first pitches – Moses’ pitch went to Ryan Zimmerman! CavMan, Hokie Bird, and both schools’ cheerleaders and dance teams greeted fans and appeared on the field before the game. The Nationals played both schools’ fight songs and the Virginia Gentlemen sang the National Anthem. Finally, we saw CavMan & Hokie Bird hold the finish line tape for the Presidents Race – which, of course, T.J. won!
All fans who ordered tickets to the game through the Nationals’ College Rivalry Day promotion received a Nationals & UVA branded acrylic solo cup.
The Nationals Park Clubhouse Store sold UVA and VT themed shirts and hats throughout the game. The UVA merchandise included a navy blue 47 Brand t-shirt with the state of Virginia and the Curly W, a navy blue New Era fitted cap with an orange Curly W and orange bill, and a navy blue New Era adjustable cap with an orange Curly-W on the front and the UVA logo on the side. The shirts and hats are a great way to support Dear Old UVA and our Washington Nationals!
The baseball game was one for the books. Nationals ace Max Scherzer pitched a gem, striking out 10 batters and allowing just 2 hits over 7 1/3 innings. Second Baseman Daniel Murphy came up big in the clutch, hitting two home runs and driving in 3 of the Nats’ 4 runs. The Nationals beat the New York Mets 4-2 to complete a 3-game series sweep and stretch their NL East division lead to 6 games.
Thank you for joining us at Nationals Park on June 29th!
Go Nats & Go Hoos!
Check out more photos from the game here!
Thank you to the Nationals,
Luke Holman (COMM ’06), and Kate McCormick (CLAS ’14) for photos!