Celebrating The Birdball Family

On Jan. 26, the Boston College baseball program was on display, kicking off this season's team with its annual Baseball Night in Boston event at Fenway Park. The single largest fundraiser for the team, it brought together classes from the past to celebrate the promise of the present.

"Our goal is to compete for a national championship," head coach Mike Gambino said."We talk about being in a position to compete for a chance at Omaha every year. But we can't compete without the fundraising that takes place and we can't compete as a national program without the support we receive."

Over 200 people attended the event, held at Fenway Park's State Street Pavilion overlooking its hallowed diamond. With World Series championship trophies in attendance, 91 former players from almost 50 graduating classes came together with fans, families and Boston College alumni to celebrate the Birdball community.

"The event brings together the entire Birdball family," senior Luke Fernandes said. "It brings together current players and their families with alumni and their families. It really represents what coach tries to bring together, and it's there in a night like this."

"This year was better than it ever," junior Jake Palomaki said. "With all of our success, going to the Super Regionals last year, it's been great to be able to talk to all of the alumni and donors (that came out to support the team)."

For the players, it's a special night beyond celebrating baseball. Prior to the event, the current Eagles met with Eagles of years past in an alumni-only event to discuss professional aspirations. It's a glimpse into life beyond and without baseball even as the team aspires to continue its breakthrough on the field. Former outfielder and famed ALS advocate Pete Frates helped Gambino start the event, dubbed Mentor Night, but it only recently moved to take place the same day at Baseball Night.

"We were able to network with a bunch of former players," Palomaki said. "It's great to be able to link up and discuss the future. Whether it's talking about work or trying to help learn about the future, it's really great just to get to know them all and get out to talk to them."

"I really enjoy (seeing and meeting everyone)," Fernandes added. "I know a lot of them and I'm friendly with a lot of them, so just knowing that they did make the transformation from working out in Conte Forum to becoming successful business people makes it a little less scary for us."

That Baseball Night happened at Fenway Park only enhanced the evening. With World Series championship trophies in attendance and a talk from the Boston Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, the night overlooked a potential preview of the Eagles' alternative home field. The professional team already invited the Eagles to play its Sixth Annual ALS Awareness Game on its hallowed grass. That game will be on April 22 against NC State at 4 p.m. (tickets) with all proceeds benefiting the Pete Frates #3 Fund.

"I don't think any other NCAA team has as close of a relationship with a franchise like BC has with the Boston Red Sox," Gambino said. "We are extremely lucky to have as much support from them as we do. We host our event at Fenway Park and we're going to play there this year. We played the Red Sox for 25 straight years in Spring Training and they honored Pete Frates by wearing his jersey number when we played against them. Plus they signed Pete to a pro contract. It's a really cool relationship. I remember Ben Cherington, who was the former general manager of the Red Sox, telling us about how the front office cheered when we joined the ACC. They hold their rookie winter workouts at BC. So this night is a part of that relationship and it's something we feel really fortunate to have."

"It's great to be (at Fenway)," said Palomaki. "But it's also exciting to know that we'll be out in April to take on NC State. That's going to be a lot of fun."

Still, the event only underscores the oncoming storm. Opening day at Bethune-Cookman sits just a week away and the night only serves as a reminder that the program, which is made up of individual teams, will officially pivot, in a finality of sorts, from the success of last year to the upcoming work of 2017.

"This is both the best and worst time of the year," Fernandes said. "We want the season to come, but we also have to prepare for it. Baseball Night is great and hearing the alumni talk and celebrate our success just brings into perspective that there are true fans out there, that will support us no matter what. It just gives you more of a reason to work hard and be anxious for the start of it all."

One of the fundamental concepts of Boston College baseball centers around the concept of the team versus the program. Each year, a different team takes the field, individually different from its predecessors and successors. Together, though, the teams make up a program, one that blends its history and unique Birdball tradition into one greater mission.

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