Bucky’s Celebrity Softball Game returns to BSU for third year

Bemidji State University is bringing Bucky’s Celebrity Softball Game back to the BSU Softball Field on Tuesday, June 9, at 6 p.m., with free admission, giveaways and prizes, and a rivalry that enters the night tied 1-1 between the Green Sox and Whitecaps.

The third annual game is part of BSU’s Community Appreciation Day series, which the BSU Alumni & Foundation says is meant to show gratitude for the community’s support of Bemidji State. That gives the exhibition a purpose beyond the scoreboard: it keeps families, alumni, students and longtime supporters on campus in early June, when Bemidji’s summer event calendar is starting to fill.

Organizers said this year’s roster will again mix returning and new participants, continuing the relaxed format that has made the game a summer draw. The players’ skill levels range from casual competitors to MVP-caliber performers, a setup that keeps the event informal while still giving the crowd a reason to follow every inning. The built-in Green Sox-Whitecaps matchup also gives the 2026 game a little extra edge, since the series is tied after each side has won once.

That rivalry started in 2024, when the Green Sox edged the Whitecaps 8-7 in the inaugural Bucky’s Celebrity Softball Game. That first game featured 23 competitors and was played before a packed house at the BSU softball field. The Whitecaps answered in 2025, winning 20-8 behind a home run from Tyler Ogron, who was named MVP. The Alumni & Foundation said that second game also drew a packed house and included a kids zone and the Bemidji Dirty Dough food truck.

The return of the event for a third year suggests the format has settled into a familiar role on BSU’s summer calendar, giving Bemidji another campus gathering built around local personalities, alumni ties and a setting that is open to the wider community. For a university trying to stay visible after the academic year ends, the game offers a low-pressure way to keep people coming back to campus and a public reminder that BSU’s reach in Beltrami County extends well beyond the classroom.