The Ravens are coming to Aberdeen to play ball. Softball that is.
The “Isaiah Likely Softball Slam” will be held June 1 at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium to benefit Special Olympics Maryland. The game will feature a showdown between the Ravens’ offensive and defensive players and include TV and radio personalities from WBAL-TV, 98 Rock, and WBAL NewsRadio. It’s not yet clear which players are participating.
Tickets, ranging from $15 to $80 for autograph alley rows, are on sale via the Aberdeen IronBirds website and box office, with limited VIP tickets also available.
“I am very excited to launch this charity softball game as it is a great opportunity to spend time with my teammates, while also raising money for Special Olympics Maryland,” Likely said in a news release. “Ravens fans are the best fans in the NFL, and I know we will enjoy another opportunity to interact with them, have some fun on the softball field and raise important funds. It will be an awesome summer day.”
Likely, a 2022 fourth-round draft pick out of Coastal Carolina, is entering his fourth season with the Ravens. He’s recorded 108 catches for 1,261 yards in 49 games, including a career-high 42 receptions for 477 yards and six touchdowns last season.
Ripken Stadium is the current home of the IronBirds, the High-A minor league affiliate of the Orioles, although questions remain about the future of the franchise in Harford County. In October, Cal Ripken Jr. and his brother, Billy, sold their majority stake of the team to Attain Sports. The club and the City of Aberdeen have been sparring over revenue.
Unrivaled Sports, co-founded by Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris, owns Ripken Baseball and would be interested in expanding a new multi-purpose development for the stadium site, including additional athletic fields, a hotel, retail space and a parking garage.
Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon.