Bethel Park baseball players had their “Buddies” with them when they defeated South Fayette, 4-1, in a Section 2-5A game Tuesday at Bob Purkey Jr. Memorial Field.
The Black Hawks hosted their annual “Buddies at the Ballfield” game to recognize World Autism Day.
Best Buddies is a national initiative that pairs students with disabilities with their peers to build friendships and inclusion. The program is meant to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to have a friend.
“The Best Buddies program is the students in the life skills program and also those in the main student body who are there to help them and support them and help them feel like part of the school,” Bethel Park baseball coach Patrick Zehnder said. “They always thank us for doing stuff like this, but I think we get as much out of it as they do.
“It puts your life into perspective. You might think things aren’t going your way, but to see these kids with such a positive attitude and do so many amazing things, it’s an honor to be a part of that.”
Big thank you to the Best Buddies for coming out on a cold day. It was great to watch you in action before the game and thanks for sticking around to watch!
Huge shoutouts to Coach King, Mrs. Bruckner, Mrs. LeJeune & Mrs. Hernandez for all your help planning & running the day! pic.twitter.com/dMbZmq4aM0
— Bethel Park Hawks Baseball (@bp_hawks) April 8, 2026
Prior to the showdown for first place between the Black Hawks and Lions, the buddies — wearing their game day tops — either walked or were wheeled around the bases while both teams and the umpiring crew rooted them on.
Then one lucky buddy threw out the first pitch.
Bethel Park has been celebrating Buddies at the Ballfield for several years. However, something new on Tuesday were the shirts worn by all involved.
The Black Hawks’ colors are black and orange, but for this day, they wore specially designed purple tops, as did all the young men and women taking part in the pregame ceremony.
“This year we took it up a notch with jerseys and socks to hand out,” Zehnder said. “One of our sayings this year is to be a cup filler and to pour into others and do what you need to do to help other people to feel like part of the system.
“One of the best ways to fill your own cup is by doing things like this and helping others and interacting with the community and school body in different ways, and that’s something we’re trying to do as a baseball program.”
“The Bethel Park Best Buddies Club is a student-led friendship club with 125 members,” Bethel Park’s Best Buddies leader Julia Hernandez said in a statement. “Our club creates opportunities for friendships between high school students with and without intellectual/development disabilities.
“Our club has monthly activities on campus or in the community. Baseball Buddy Day is one of the favorite events of the year. Students have the opportunity to be matched with a buddy to spend more time together and develop a deeper friendship.”
The program and the event hold a special meaning to Zehnder, who is a special education teacher in the Bethel Park School District.
“It’s a lot of fun, the kids are great, the teachers that work with them are great, and the student helpers are great too,” Zehnder said. “It has really brought our school community together. It’s a really special event and a special group of kids.”