Charlotte Hornets rookie Liam McNeeley threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Friday for the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
McNeeley was joined by fellow rookies Kon Knueppel (No. 4 pick), Sion James (33rd pick) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (34th pick) at Truist Field. They saw the Knights defeat the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the affiliate of the Miami Marlins, for their second win in three games.
The offseason period is an excellent opportunity for incoming rookies to become familiar with their respective markets and communities. The group had the chance to take in the game and sign autographs for fans in attendance.
McNeeley was the Big East Freshman of the Year last season at UConn, averaging 14.5 points, six rebounds and 2.3 assists on 38.1% shooting from the field. He is the seventh player in program history to win the award, joining the likes of Stephon Castle, Rudy Gay and Khalid El-Amin.
The 29th pick logged two appearances with the Hornets in summer league, averaging 18 points, 8.5 rebounds and four assists on 42.9% shooting from 3-point range. He produced 22 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in his debut on July 11 in a win over the Utah Jazz.
McNeeley helped the Hornets win their first summer league championship after a tremendous run in Las Vegas. The group has helped create plenty of excitement heading into training camp and is excited to take the court for the first time.