CMA-Fest-X-SoFi-Vertical-Stack-2026-Nashville.png

Batter Up!

batter up_14118095-g.jpg

June 12, 2017

RFD-TV hit the field this morning for the 27th year of the City of Hope’s Annual Celebrity Softball Game. The City of Hope’s mission is to find new cures and therapies for cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening diseases. Since the beginning, this star-studded showdown and longstanding tradition of the CMA Music Festival has brought together Nashville’s finest to raise millions of dollars for the City of Hope.

Two teams were formed with radio personality Bobby Bones coaching the iHeart team that included celebrities such as Billy Ray Cyrus, Kellie Pickler, and Lauren Alania. Team Opry was coached by Texas superstar Aaron Watson with a deep roster including The Swon Brothers, Craig Morgan, and Jackie Lee. The game began with a national anthem performance from Reba McEntire, followed by Sara Evans signing “Take Me Out to The Ball Game.”

While the iHeart team ultimately won, the celebrities came to play for all the right reasons. Most revealed someone in their family has suffered from cancer or diabetes.

Check out photos below. This content is sponsored by Zylkene Equine and Tomlyn. Learn more at barnchats.com and tomlyn.com.

Celebs Weigh in on the City of Hope Softball Fundraiser:

Watch Reba sing the National Anthem and get an overview of the day:

Related Stories
Stephen Wilson Jr. sat down with RFD-TV’s Suzanne Alexander to discuss his album, storytelling, and song inspirations. He also performed his song “Cuckoo.”

Rural Lifestyle & Entertainment Shows
When it comes to truck and tractor pulling, the National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA) is a world leader as well as the sport’s oldest and most respected entity when it comes to premier competition. They host more than 280 sessions of pulling action throughout the U.S. and Canada.
“Texas Our Texas” – a magical place. A place of land and legend. A place like no other. People come here to touch it, to feel the passion, to soak it in and be a part of it. Hosted by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. Let’s ride!
How do you define Texas? It starts with wide open spaces. It’s a beautiful, enchanted land full of amazing people and places. Then there are the cities and towns—big and small—each with its own culture and way of life. When you add these things together, you have an incredible mix of personalities that make Texas what it is today.
Join host Allen Treadwell and the Hayden Outdoors crew plus landowners across the country as we bring you exciting adventures on the land with the most amazing properties for sale and learn what it means to broker these magnificent properties.
Mecum delivers the auction action to tractor fans everywhere, offering an unparalleled array of vintage and collectible tractors ranging from entry-level collector tractors that sell for a few thousand dollars to high-end, ultra-rare machines!