PHOENIX — Many times, the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day is thrown by a franchise icon or a celebrity fan, and the national anthem performed by a top-selling artist.
The Arizona Diamondbacks gave a pair of young fans who have persevered through arduous circumstances the opportunity of a lifetime on Monday, to welcome baseball season into the Valley.
Beauden Baumkirchner, who suffered from sepsis that led to the amputation of both of his legs at a young age and survived, threw out the first pitch to his favorite player and D-backs outfielder Corbin Carroll.
Joe Giacinto, a blind and autistic clarinetist with big dreams as a musician, performed the Star-Spangled Banner.
Both received thunderous applause from the sold-out crowd in the ballpark.
Baumkirchner suffered what was first thought to be a typical cut when riding a bike during a vacation in 2020. He was three years old. He contracted a rare staph infection and went into septic shock, tragically, and Baumkirchner underwent more than 20 surgeries.
Years later, Baumkirchner is now a baseball player at Lake Havasu Little League, using prosthetic legs. He and his family are big Diamondbacks fans, and Carroll had sent him a personal message.
“Shocked,” Baumkirchner told MLB Network in January when he received the message.
When asked by Hot Stove host Matt Vasgersian if he’s been to Chase Field and met Carroll in person, the young man said he had not. That’s now been rectified in a big way.
The @Dbacks came through and invited Beauden Baumkirchner to throw out the first pitch to Corbin Carroll at the season home opener!
A moment Beauden will never forget 👏#BallparkCam | @CAFoundation https://t.co/zl38Sh9ms1 pic.twitter.com/ZQYPPVZVYE
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 31, 2026
Baumkirchner aimed and fired a pitch to Carroll, who with a big smile gave Baumkirchner a high five and signed the baseball for him. Perhaps Baumkirchner brought Carroll good luck, as the two-time All-Star hit a triple and a home run in the first two innings of the ballgame.
Giacinto is a self-taught musician from the Valley who powered through the anthem with fireworks and the classic Opening Day flyover in the background.
The fans started to erupt before he hit his last note, and he had a big smile on his face after the memorable performance.
“Let’s go!” Giacinto exclaimed when asked to perform on Opening Day by D-backs president and CEO Derrick Hall. “I can’t wait.”
The artist has already played the anthem at an Atlanta Hawks game earlier this NBA season, as he continues to showcase his talents in front of large audiences.
Joe Giacinto, a blind and autistic clarinet phenom, performed tonight's National Anthem. pic.twitter.com/SKYs1JCWwq
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 31, 2026
from Arizona Sports https://ift.tt/tm7jR0a
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