The Tri-City Chili Peppers, a minor league team based in Virginia, made history Saturday by hosting the first ever “cosmic baseball” game. They faced the in-state opponent Greenbrier Knights in a game under a special artificial lighting system that featured UV-reactive equipment.
The Chili Peppers utilized black lights that interacted with the UV-reactive equipment — including uniforms, bats, caps and balls — to create a glow-in-the-dark effect. Tri-City beat the Knights 9-4, but the sport of baseball as a whole was the main winner as the “cosmic” vibe brought a fun new twist to America’s pastime.
The “cosmic baseball” concept was made possible thanks in part to the team’s uniform vendor 3n2, hat producer Bretmor Headwear and equipment manufacturers Tucci and Wilson Sports Goods. Lighting company Sonaray was tasked with creating black lights powerful enough to play under in order to make the concept viable.
The “cosmic baseball” game puts a completely new twist on playing games at night, and it also helps put a relatively new baseball team on the map. The Chili Peppers, a collegiate summer baseball team, first entered the Coastal Plain League in 2021 and play their home games at Shepherd Stadium in Colonial Heights.
Saturday was just the beginning as the Chili Peppers realized the sky galaxy is the limit. The team is also planning to host cosmic baseball games on June 15, June 28 and July 20.
