Jan. 18 Update: The First Pitch Dinner is officially sold out. The event program will be streamed live on Purdue Baseball's Facebook & X/Twitter accounts. No walkups will be admitted Friday due to the event being at capacity.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball's First Pitch Dinner is set for the final Friday of January back in the Ross-Ade Stadium Pavilion and is slated to feature a guest speaker fresh off pitching in the World Series for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Friday, Jan. 26 is the date of the event and also the first day of official preseason practice. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET, with dinner served at 7 p.m. The program and honorees portion of the event follows dinner. Purdue baseball's Alumnus of the Year and Community Service Award recipients are annually announced at the First Pitch Dinner. Player introductions and remarks from head coach Greg Goff are also featured.
Pitcher Ryan Thompson has agreed to serve as this year's featured guest speaker. Thompson was the first man out of the bullpen for the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the World Series this year, pitching a scoreless sixth inning to cap an impressive postseason in which had seven scoreless appearances while working 11 2/3 innings of three-run relief. Thompson pitched for Goff at Campbell from 2013-14, serving as an All-American closer while helping lead the Camels to a combined 90-31 record.
The cost to attend remains $60 per person or $500 per table. There is also an option of sponsoring a student-athlete's meal. The table option includes seven tickets and a student-athlete meal. The cost is also $60 to sponsor a student-athlete. Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased HERE.
The program's Alumnus of the Year award is bestowed upon a degree-holding Boilermaker that has demonstrated outstanding loyalty towards and continued interest in supporting Purdue Athletics and Purdue baseball. The Community Service Award honors qualities such as sustained involvement, compassion and selflessness.
Thompson made his big league debut for the Tampa Bay Rays in July 2020 and also pitched in the World Series that season. He made nine postseason appearances in both 2020 and 2023 and has compiled a 2.14 ERA with 18 strikeouts vs. 18 hits allowed in 21 career postseason innings. He has five saves and 33 holds in his 139 career appearances over his four seasons as a big league reliever. Pitching for Goff at Campbell, Thompson was 16-3 with 27 saves and 144 strikeouts vs. 122 hits allowed in 159 2/3 innings across his two seasons.
"I never had a player that was such a great player but also just a tremendous teammate and person. He had a great vision of what he wanted to do. And he knew he could do it. And he did," Goff said of Thompson for an MLB.com feature story about the sidearmer published in October as the D-backs rallied to win the NLCS in seven games. Thompson gave Arizona eight outs – four each in both Games 6 and 7 – as the visitors won on consecutive days in Philadelphia to capture the National League pennant.
The First Pitch Dinner has grown in size since being introduced prior to the 2019 season. Last year it moved from Holloway Gymnasium to the suite accommodations on the club level of the Ross-Ade Stadium Pavilion. Past featured guest speakers have included big leaguers Kevin Plawecki, Josh Lindblom and Clayton Richard as well as former ABCA President/Kentucky head coach Keith Madison.
The Boilermakers have also earmarked the afternoon of Sunday, Feb. 11 for their preseason fan fest inside the Mollenkopf Athletic Center. The popular free event features skill stations and other indoor activities for children as well as autograph opportunities.
Purdue Baseball's 6th Annual First Pitch Dinner
• Friday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.
• Suite Level of Ross-Ade Stadium Pavilion
• Cost: $60 Per Guest
Doors at 6:30 p.m., Dinner Begins at 7 p.m.
• Interact with & dine alongside Players & Coaches
• Buffet-style meal
• Cash Bar
• Featured Speaker MLB Pitcher Ryan Thompson of the 2023 NL Champion Arizona Diamondbacks
• Alumnus of the Year & Community Service awards announced
• Coach Greg Goff addresses the crowd & previews the season
• Players & Staff introductions
More Ticket Options
• Sponsor a Student-Athlete's Meal: $60
• Purchase a Full Table: $500 – includes 7 meals & 1 sponsored student-athlete meal
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball's First Pitch Dinner is set for the final Friday of January back in the Ross-Ade Stadium Pavilion and is slated to feature a guest speaker fresh off pitching in the World Series for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Friday, Jan. 26 is the date of the event and also the first day of official preseason practice. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET, with dinner served at 7 p.m. The program and honorees portion of the event follows dinner. Purdue baseball's Alumnus of the Year and Community Service Award recipients are annually announced at the First Pitch Dinner. Player introductions and remarks from head coach Greg Goff are also featured.
Pitcher Ryan Thompson has agreed to serve as this year's featured guest speaker. Thompson was the first man out of the bullpen for the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the World Series this year, pitching a scoreless sixth inning to cap an impressive postseason in which had seven scoreless appearances while working 11 2/3 innings of three-run relief. Thompson pitched for Goff at Campbell from 2013-14, serving as an All-American closer while helping lead the Camels to a combined 90-31 record.
The cost to attend remains $60 per person or $500 per table. There is also an option of sponsoring a student-athlete's meal. The table option includes seven tickets and a student-athlete meal. The cost is also $60 to sponsor a student-athlete. Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased HERE.
The program's Alumnus of the Year award is bestowed upon a degree-holding Boilermaker that has demonstrated outstanding loyalty towards and continued interest in supporting Purdue Athletics and Purdue baseball. The Community Service Award honors qualities such as sustained involvement, compassion and selflessness.
Thompson made his big league debut for the Tampa Bay Rays in July 2020 and also pitched in the World Series that season. He made nine postseason appearances in both 2020 and 2023 and has compiled a 2.14 ERA with 18 strikeouts vs. 18 hits allowed in 21 career postseason innings. He has five saves and 33 holds in his 139 career appearances over his four seasons as a big league reliever. Pitching for Goff at Campbell, Thompson was 16-3 with 27 saves and 144 strikeouts vs. 122 hits allowed in 159 2/3 innings across his two seasons.
"I never had a player that was such a great player but also just a tremendous teammate and person. He had a great vision of what he wanted to do. And he knew he could do it. And he did," Goff said of Thompson for an MLB.com feature story about the sidearmer published in October as the D-backs rallied to win the NLCS in seven games. Thompson gave Arizona eight outs – four each in both Games 6 and 7 – as the visitors won on consecutive days in Philadelphia to capture the National League pennant.
The First Pitch Dinner has grown in size since being introduced prior to the 2019 season. Last year it moved from Holloway Gymnasium to the suite accommodations on the club level of the Ross-Ade Stadium Pavilion. Past featured guest speakers have included big leaguers Kevin Plawecki, Josh Lindblom and Clayton Richard as well as former ABCA President/Kentucky head coach Keith Madison.
The Boilermakers have also earmarked the afternoon of Sunday, Feb. 11 for their preseason fan fest inside the Mollenkopf Athletic Center. The popular free event features skill stations and other indoor activities for children as well as autograph opportunities.
Purdue Baseball's 6th Annual First Pitch Dinner
• Friday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.
• Suite Level of Ross-Ade Stadium Pavilion
• Cost: $60 Per Guest
Doors at 6:30 p.m., Dinner Begins at 7 p.m.
• Interact with & dine alongside Players & Coaches
• Buffet-style meal
• Cash Bar
• Featured Speaker MLB Pitcher Ryan Thompson of the 2023 NL Champion Arizona Diamondbacks
• Alumnus of the Year & Community Service awards announced
• Coach Greg Goff addresses the crowd & previews the season
• Players & Staff introductions
More Ticket Options
• Sponsor a Student-Athlete's Meal: $60
• Purchase a Full Table: $500 – includes 7 meals & 1 sponsored student-athlete meal