She made history on a historic day.
WhenElana Regansuccessfully – and safely - reached base for theBoston Renegadeslast month, she wasn’t sure if she had actually scored a run. The crowd was cheering for both teams, she said. Was she safe or out?
Learn more:What is beep ball? Baseball variation for visually impaired is 'energy is like no other'
Renegades coach Rob Weissman informed her she was indeed safe, and he had some other exciting news to tell the 2021 Hopkinton High graduate: She is the only woman to ever score a run at Fenway Park.
The Renegades andBoston Strong, teams comprised of blind and low vision athletes, participated in the first beep baseball game ever to be played at the home of theRed Soxon a sunny April 12 afternoon while the Sox were in St. Louis (winning 9-3).
Regan, who flew in from Ann Arbor, Michigan – where she is studying for a law degree at the University of Michigan – was pleased to return to the area for the game, which drew hundreds of spectators, the largest to see the Renegades.
“It was just a big payoff for me personally. I’ve always loved baseball – I played softball when I had more sight,” Regan said. “Getting back into the sport was awesome, but to be playing on such a big stage and having so many people watching was incredible.”
The game was played in Fenway’s outfield and was won by the Renegades, who were founded in 2000. “Beep ball” has been played for more than 60 years and uses audio cues – beeping baseballs and buzzing bases – to guide players.
The Renegades were originally scheduled to play at Fenway in 2024, but rain cancelled the game. Last month, their bench was set up in front of the Green Monster.
“Some of them lost their sight early in life and had dreams and ambitions - some have never played baseball, some have,” said Hunter Weissman (Rob’s nephew), a Renegades coach since age 11 (he’s now 26). “To have the opportunity to play in such a historic ballpark is something that everyone on this team has looked forward to. It was just a really great day.”
Beep ball games are played in silence, but once a play is over, so is the hush.
“They had a chant for every person’s name. Every time someone scored, everyone would start jumping and yelling,” said Wayland High freshman Oliver Harrington, a volunteer with the Renegades along with his father and brother. “The crowd was playing along – they had signs saying to cheer and when to be quiet. All the players, you could tell how much they enjoyed it. They love the sport and they love to play it.”
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How to play beep baseball
Beep baseballwas created in 1964, leading to the creation of theNational Beep Baseball Associationin ‘76. The game is played with pitchers, catchers and batters on the same team, working together as a unit. When the pitcher, who stands 20 feet away, is ready to deliver the melon-sized ball, they announce “set, ready, pitch.” It is up to the batter to synchronize and make contact.
When the bat hits the ball, a volunteer randomly activates a buzzing base – first or third - 100 feet away. If the batter reaches the base before the defense picks up the ball, a run is scored. If not, the batter is out.
All players wear blindfolds.
“It’s amazing to see a blindfolded person hit the baseball, run down to the beeping base,” said Eric Harrington, Oliver’s father. “They get together and they play this game and they feel like they’re part of a team. They’re making progress and they’re proud of themselves.”
The Renegades played in the National Beep Baseball Association World Series in 2023 in Norman, Oklahoma and placed fifth out of 19 teams. One of the team’s longest serving coaches is Bryan Grillo, who wasone of 26 winnersof the 2024 Myra Kraft Community MVP Awards program, an honor that earned the Renegades a $10,000 grant.
Owen Harrington, a junior on the Wayland High baseball team, joined the Renegades as a hitting coach last season. His mother, Kate, found the Renegades while researching ways for him to give back to the community.
“It was unlike any other volunteer opportunity,” Owen Harrington, who shares a birthday with former Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, said. “It gave me a new perspective; it was more active volunteering. I helped them adjust their swings and I can see the progress they were making.
“They take it seriously. It’s awesome to see how they can be competitive despite their limitations.”
Regan, who endured a six-hour law exam two weeks after the Fenway game, was still buzzing when contacted on May 1 about the “electric” atmosphere in Boston.
“It felt like a professional baseball game,” she said. “We had fans like the Red Sox have fans, so it was pretty darn cool.”
Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached at tdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Instagram at tdumas1.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News:Hopkinton, Wayland 'beepball' players, coaches make history at Fenway Park
