University of Pittsburgh Athletics
James Conner Throws Ceremonial First Pitch at Pirates Game
4/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
WATCH: CONNER THROWS FIRST PITCH
PITTSBURGH - Junior running back James Conner threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the 2016 Major League Baseball season on Sunday at the Pittsburgh Pirates season opener against St. Louis.
Conner, who is currently battling Hodgkin lymphoma, was given a standing ovation by the crowd of 39,500 at PNC Park and was greeted by many players in the dugout, including all-star center fielder Andrew McCutchen.
Prior to throwing the first pitch, the Pirates showed a tribute video of Conner and made a donation of $5,000 to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
"It was an incredible honor to throw out the first pitch," Conner said. "I love the city of Pittsburgh and it's like my second home. We have a great fan base so this meant a lot to me."
The Pirates defeated the rivals Cardinals 4-1 and were led by Francisco Liriano's 10 strikeout performance.
Click here to watch a video recap of Conner throwing out the first pitch (Video Credit: Mike Gallagher).
