Boston College’s baseball team will continue its longstanding mission to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as it heads into the 2026 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, according to a May 28 announcement. The Eagles are set to play Liberty in the first game of the Athens Regional, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. and coverage available on ESPN+.
A central symbol of this mission is a maroon flag with a white ribbon and gold lettering, honoring former player Pete Frates, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2012. The flag has accompanied the team through previous tournaments and will be present again as Boston College competes in Georgia. Head coach Todd Interdonato said during BC’s travel day to Georgia, “Anytime Birdball can get on the national stage, we always want to put Pete and his mission out in front. The 2026 team truly believes that Pete is one of their teammates, and he’s been with us throughout this incredible season.”
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive neurological disorder that gradually robs individuals of their ability to walk, talk, eat, and breathe while leaving cognitive functions intact. According to statistics from the ALS Association referenced by Boston College officials in their release, about 20 percent of people diagnosed live five years or more after diagnosis.
Pete Frates played for Boston College before his diagnosis at age 27 and later served as director of baseball operations for the program. In 2014, Frates helped popularize the Ice Bucket Challenge alongside Pat Quinn after being inspired by golfer Chris Kennedy’s gesture supporting an ALS-affected family member. The challenge became a viral campaign involving millions worldwide—including athletes and celebrities—and raised over $200 million for ALS research by summer’s end.
The funds generated from these efforts contributed directly to advancements such as Radicava—a drug approved in 2017 capable of slowing disease progression—and further genetic research into potential causes of ALS. John Frates reflected on this impact during a CBS News interview: “It was really just an awareness campaign,” he said. “And then it morphed into a fundraiser… what a massive fundraiser [with] $220 million worldwide.” He added that Pete had once told his doctor he would raise one billion dollars for research.
Despite changes within Boston College’s staff and roster since Frates’ passing in 2019, assistant coach Greg Sullivan remains as someone who knew him personally. The tradition continues each year through events like Fenway Park’s annual ALS Awareness Game—where Pete’s daughter Lucy now participates—and ongoing displays of support both on campus and nationally.
“As we continue forward, we will always continue the fight that Pete started,” Interdonato said. “We’re going to live out his legacy spent fighting against ALS.”
