Auburn Riverside in action inside T-Mobile Park

Every player on the roster got a chance to play on the same field as their baseball heroes.

By Benjamin Ray • April 10, 2024 3:58 pm

Auburn Riverside was shellacked 13-1 inside T-Mobile Park against Mount Si on April 6. But winning the game is not the goal for Riverside skipper Brad Comstock.

The Ravens approached the fundraiser game in a much different light than a non-league game or at another neutral site, let alone a league game.

Comstock is all about giving a chance to players who put in work behind the scenes, whether that is on JV or C team, on and off the field. Because at the end of the day, to play at T-Mobile, you have to pay your way to get there.

“It is a big deal for the kids. I have been fortunate enough to have done this 10-11 times by now. It is a really big deal for the kids, it’s a special event,” Comstock said.

Speaking of the game, the first four innings were all Ravens. Auburn Riverside starter Cameron Bain threw three innings against the Wildcats and dominated in those three frames.

Bain scattered two hits and one walk in his three innings of work while striking out a trio of Mount Si batters.

“He’s been really good lately. Pitching coach and I have started to have some conversations about who is our number two guy and he has creeped his way right up there,” Comstock said.

The Ravens also led in this game, scoring in the first inning. In the first, Ethan Melius and Andrew Shrader collected back-to-back singles before Caleb Anardi was hit by a pitch. Cade Huffman was able to draw a two out walk to plate the first run.

That was it for Riverside fans to cheer for. Mount Si went on to score 13 unanswered runs while also keeping their starters in the lineup for the entire game.

Coaches obviously have different philosophies when it comes to games like this. Some want to win, and some want to give all their kids an opportunity to play.

“We had a kid on C-team get an at-bat today. The goal for me is to get everybody in the game. I got every single kid on that team two innings in the field and an at-bat,” Comstock said.

“I wish I could say the same thing for them (Mount Si),” he added.

17 different Ravens were given an at-bat compared to just 11 different Wildcats getting an opportunity to play. Just two Ravens had three at-bats, the most in the game. Mount Si had 10 different players record three or more at-bats in the game, while seven had four plate appearances. Auburn Riverside didn’t have a single player with four plate appearances.

If these teams played at full strength, the result might not have been 13-1.