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Ridgefield Raptors pitcher ties the knot on field

Eli Shubert weds Erin Thum in pre-game ceremony

By Tim Martinez, Columbian Assistant Sports Editor

Published: July 14, 2021, 7:48pm

Eli Shubert, pitcher for the Ridgefield Raptors, marries Erin Thum in a short ceremony on the field before a game against the Port Angeles Lefties at Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. ELAYNA YUSSEN for The Columbian.

RIDGEFIELD — Some husbands have trouble remembering their wedding anniversary. Eli Shubert will have to remember two.

Luckily for him, his first wedding day won’t be one he’ll soon forget.

The Ridgefield Raptors pitcher married Erin Thum from Vancouver in an on-field ceremony at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex before Wednesday night’s baseball game against the Port Angeles Lefties.

“That was more than I was expecting,” Shubert said. “That was awesome.”

Thum walked with her father, Robert Thum, to the mound, where Shubert was waiting.

Then the couple, under an archway of bats held up by Shubert’s Raptors teammates, proceeded to home plate, where Josh Worden, an ordained minister and Raptors’ play-by-play announcer, officiated the 10-minute ceremony.

“Josh did great,” Shubert said. “That was beautiful.”

The couple will have a more traditional, formal wedding ceremony with family and friends in Woodland on Saturday. But Wednesday’s ceremony was legal.

“I thought it was amazing,” the now-Erin Shubert said. “The Raptors, they did a lot. They put a lot of thought into it. It was really, really special.”

After the exchange of rings and vows, a kiss sealed the deal as the fans in attendance cheered. The couple then signed the marriage certificate along with best man, Raptors designated hitter Will Chambers.

“That was amazing,” Chambers said. “That was the best day of MY life.”

Then the couple climbed into the back of a golf cart strewn with streamers, Whiffle balls and a “Just Married” sign for a tour around the ballpark.

Wednesday’s game would be the last of the season for Shubert as the couple prepares for Saturday’s ceremony and a honeymoon before returning to Lewiston, Idaho, where they both attend Lewis-Clark State.

But they left with a day they won’t forget.

“We are blessed,” Shubert said. “The people, the fans who came out, that was awesome.”

Eli Shubert, pitcher for the Ridgefield Raptors, marries Erin Thum in a short ceremony on the field before a game against the Port Angeles Lefties at Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. ELAYNA YUSSEN for The Columbian. Photo

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