Team Israel to Play Pre-Olympic Game at FNB Field
May 20, 2021 - Eastern League (EL)
Harrisburg Senators News Release
HARRISBURG, PA - The Harrisburg Senators in conjunction with the Israel Association of Baseball are thrilled to announce that Team Israel is playing a pre-Olympic exhibition game at FNB Field on Friday, July 16th at 10:00 a.m. The game features Team Israel playing against the Cal Ripken Collegiate Team. Tickets will go on sale to the public Friday, May 21 at 10:00 a.m.
The game is one of nine that Team Israel will play in the United States during its training camp. Games against the New York Boulders in Pomona, New York, on Monday, July 12 and against the Bristol Blues and Ocean State Waves in Hartford, Connecticut, on Wednesday-Thursday, July 14-15, have already been announced.
The game in Harrisburg will be a homecoming of sorts for one member of Team Israel, catcher Nick Rickles, who played for the Senators during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Team Israel will have as many as 28 players in total plus some of the top local talents of the next generation on its training camp roster. The team is ripe with players known to baseball fans in the United States; there are seven players with previous Major League Baseball experience plus several current minor league players. Among those on the roster is former four-time all-star Ian Kinsler, Rickles and several other players that have appeared on city island are on the roster as well including Jeremy Bleich, Ryan Lavarnway, and Danny Valencia.
Team Israel will compete in baseball at the Olympic Games for the first time. It is the first team to represent Israel at the Olympic Games since 1976 when Israel's national soccer team played in Montreal. The six-team Olympic Baseball Tournament will run from July 28 through August 7.
The Senators are absolutely thrilled to be hosting this unique event. "It's not often at all that you get a chance to bring a National Baseball team in that is on their way to the Olympics. We're thrilled to be working with the Jewish Family Service of Greater Harrisburg to make this event a reality and help bring the community out to see Team Israel in action. I expect there are a lot of people in the Central PA Region that will be excited to be able to cheer these guys on to Tokyo. It's going to be a fun event," said Kevin Kulp, Senators Team President.
"We're honored to be partnering with the Harrisburg Senators to bring Team Israel to FNB Field," said Steve Schauder, Executive Director of Jewish Family Service of Greater Harrisburg. "It's a major accomplishment for a small country like Israel to make it to the Tokyo Olympics in baseball, and in addition to rooting them on, we are calling the event "Striking Out Covid," to acknowledge all of first responders, including Jewish Family Service, who were there to help others in need during the Covid crisis."
The Senators offices are open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Tickets for any game in May are available online 24 hours a day or in person at the box office or over the phone during normal business hours. For information about Sensylvania Club Season Memberships please call the Senators at 717-231-4444 or visit the Senators online at www.senatorsbaseball.com. You can find the Senators on Facebook at facebook.com/senatorsbaseball or @hbgsenators on Twitter.
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