Hailey Van Lith tosses first pitch at Mariners game
In the wake of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, a number of athletes have been honored at various sporting events across the United States. On Sunday, it was Hailey Van Lith‘s turn.
Van Lith helped capture a bronze medal for Team USA in the Olympic 3×3 basketball event, helping add to the overall medal count.
So naturally she was a shoe-in to throw a first pitch out for the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, a native of Wenatchee, Wash., herself. And Van Lith did not disappoint.
After taking the mound, she dialed up a near-perfect pitch, catching the lower corner of the plate on a ball that was fielded cleanly by the Mariners player behind the plate. It earned her applause and a high five. Check it out below.
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Hailey Van Lith, of course, has been in the spotlight for quite some time now. She first emerged as a star point guard at Louisville, then opted to transfer to LSU for the 2023-24 season.
After her campaign with the Tigers, which had its ups and downs, she then ventured to the Olympics on the 3×3 team.
It was a hard-fought game for the bronze medal.
“Winning a medal for your country just makes you super proud,” Hailey Van Lith said. “Even after the game, I got super emotional. There just aren’t enough words. You just feel so proud. You’re just so thankful for your family and friends and everyone who cheered and supported you. If they will have me again at the next one [Olympics], I’ll be back.”
Now, Van Lith will look to close out her collegiate eligibility. She won’t do so at LSU, having transferred to TCU for her final year. And even at the Olympics, Van Lith was already feeling like that was the right choice based on the support she got from Horned Frogs this summer.
“That’s what I am talking about, that support,” Hailey Van Lith said. “It just really means the world to me. My teammates were even texting me every day, and the coaching staff. So I’m going to go give that school all that I have for my last year of college basketball.”