BALTIMORE, MD - The Baltimore Orioles hosted their first ever HBCU night where schools from all over came to show their school spirit. Students, alumni, staff, and baltimore natives came out to show their love and support for these schools. This was also an epic night for the Orioles as they celebrated their 100th win of the season against the Boston Red Sox Thursday night.
CREDIT : Mikayla Perry, HBCU Sports Summit | The Baltimore Orioles
The evening events started off with a pre game as both teams were warming up. The Morgan State HBCU Sports Summit interns were able to put their creative media skills to the test and interact with a few of their favorite players. It was a very exciting time for the students considering this night was catered to HBCUs. As the pregame was coming to an end, fans were starting to make an entrance and find their seats. You could see the anticipation in their faces. These were the moments leading up to the game we were all waiting for!
The O's undoubtedly have a loyal fan base, fans were cheering before they entered the stadium. The entrance near the village had a clear view of people lined up all the way down the sidewalk. The best part about this experience was the respect between the O's and Sox's fans. People used this time as a bonding experience, not to bash the other team. A few of the Sox players were seen throwing balls to O's fans from their practice area! Their faces lit up with excitement and joy as they held something so memorable in their hands. This was something they could look at and remember an amazing time. This was something they could show their children or grandchildren.
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During the village setup, fans gathered together to watch the game. The cheers and laughter filling the air from all around was very infectious. You couldn't help but to smile! It was quite remarkable to see so many people repping their schools. Even the school mascots made appearances! Morgan States very own Benny the bear was amongst the crowd taking tons of photos with fans, along with cool poses. Times like these help bring communities together, it makes the biggest impact. People with different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds came together as a big family. It did not matter who you were, if you saw another person wearing your school logo it was an instant connection.
This is what the Orioles were able to provide us with; unity. The O's apparel was great as well, as some fans were seen wearing huge gold chains with the team logo dangling down. As the O's won the game, fans were chanting in unison filling the entire stadium with sound. The crowd was going wild while fist bumping the air continuously! You could see people of all ages snapping photos and recording videos to capture the moment. So many things went down during the span of a few hours in the best ways possible. The amount of smiles and laughs are unforgettable. We look forward to more HBCU nights in the years to come!
A huge shout out to The Baltimore Orioles for having us attend and having HBCU Sports Summit help coordinate such an awesome event! This was one for the books.
-HBCU Sports Summit Team
CREDIT : Mikayla Perry, HBCU Sports Summit | The Baltimore Orioles
By, Mikayla Perry
Contributions: The Baltimore Orioles, HBCU Sports Summit
Photo: Mikayla Perry
Photo: Mikayla Perry
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