CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, yesterday’s story “Ready for the big leagues” inaccurately stated how many will work with junior Emily Bolton as an Orioles ball girl. Bolton and six others will work for the team this season.
Emily Bolton will soon have a new jersey to hang next to her Terrapins club softball uniform – this one from the Baltimore Orioles.
Bolton, a junior elementary education major who has played outfield for the Terps for three years, will join the Orioles this Friday as a ball girl. She is one of six others to win the honor for the upcoming season after edging out 45 other hopefuls at Camden Yards during the grueling tryout process.
“I grew up watching Cal Ripken Jr., and I’ve always loved watching baseball,” Bolton said. “This is my dream job.”
Bolton, a Hagerstown, Md. native will work the foul line for the Orioles, fielding foul balls and handing them over to children in the crowd. However, she and the other ball girls and boys will also be expected to cheerlead, schmooze with fans and coordinate events.
Beginning on opening day this Friday against the Minnesota Twins, Bolton will be responsible for her role on the field, discussing Orioles trivia with avid fans and directing the person throwing the first pitch – past guests of honor include presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Bolton said she never expected to make the cut when she tried out last month.
“I just went for fun not thinking much of it,” Bolton said. “But now I’m really looking forward to this and I’m really excited. I don’t think that reality has set in yet.”
In order to get the position, Bolton had to have a fielding tryout where she and the 50 others practiced gloving foul balls and flicking them into the stands. Each candidate also had an on-camera interview, was tape recorded singing cheers, such as “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” and answering trivia questions about the team.
Orioles in-game entertainment coordinator Heather Bressler said the organization is looking forward to working with Bolton, the only nominee selected from this university.
“We’re looking for folks that are personable, have softball or baseball experience, and should be an ambassador for the Orioles team,” Bressler said. “We want someone to take part in pregame ceremonies and events, engage the crowd during the inning breaks, chat with fans and just promote an overall positive experience for our fans here at the ballpark.”
Junior animal sciences major Kelsey Fogle said Bolton, her roommate, has a fun, happy attitude and deserves the season-long post.
“I was with her when she got the call for the position and her jaw dropped and she was just very, very excited,” Fogle said. “I know she’s going to have a lot of fun and she’s going to be great at her job.”
Emily Gold, a junior elementary education major and another of Bolton’s roommates, said she has always noticed her friend’s love of baseball.
“She is a huge Baltimore Orioles fan, she has a bunch of jerseys and she has posters all over her room,” Gold said. “She’s so excited and she’s perfect for the job.”
In addition to interacting with fans and working on the field, Bolton is anticipating another perk of working in the outfield. Some days, she may be just feet away from her favorite player, Nick Markakis.
“It’s really awesome that I could be sitting right next to him some games,” she said.
With the exception of her brother – who roots for the New York Yankees – Bolton said cheering for the Orioles has been almost a family tradition, and she is excited friends and family will be able to see her in action with the free tickets the job awards her.
“I know she’s going to have a lot of fun and she’s going to be great at her job,” Fogle said.
egan@umdbk.com
