Seven Game Win Streak Snapped As Sonoma Loses, 9-6

Isaac Wenrich had a big weekend in Pittsburg, adding two more hits on Sunday to finish 7-for-15 over three games. He's now hitting .311/.376/.533 on the season.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

The Sonoma Stompers missed out on their fifth sweep of the season as the Pittsburg Stompers kept the pressure on early and pulled away for good late in a 9-6 loss for the first-place Stompers.

Sonoma (19-4) took the lead in the fifth after an odd play, as a fly ball by Kristian Gayday was tracked down by Pittsburg (8-16) center fielder Tim Battle, but Battle up and dropped the ball instead of collecting the final out of the inning. Joel Carranza scored to tie the game and Yuki Yasuda followed with an RBI double to plate Gayday and make it 4-3.

But Matt Walker (2-1) couldn't get through the sixth, as the Diamonds put together a rally that chased the Stompers Opening Night starter from the game with two outs in the inning. Battle atoned for his error with a bases-clearing double just out of the reach of Fehlandt Lentini in center to give Pittsburg the lead for good.

Sonoma looked like they were going to really turn things around in the seventh when Daniel Baptista and Andrew Parker both hit solo shots to cut the Pittsburg lead to 7-6, but the Diamonds turned around and got those two runs back in the eighth, with Steve Chapter slamming the door shut in the ninth for his fifth save.

Gayday and Isaac Wenrich both had two hits for the Stompers, with Wenrich going 7-for-15 with three doubles over the weekend. Carranza went 0-for-3 before leaving the game for precautionary reasons with a groin issue, breaking his seven game hit streak.

One thing that didn't change with Sonoma's loss was their spot in the Pacific Association standings. While both Vallejo and Pittsburg gained a game on the Stompers, San Rafael's 2-1 loss on Sunday kept the team seven games ahead of the defending champions in the standings.

The two teams will face off seven times over the next week beginning on Tuesday. Sonoma will travel to San Rafael for three games before coming home on Friday, July 3 for three games. On Sunday, July 5 Sonoma will play that unique day-night home and home doubleheader with a 7-inning game beginning at 1:05 p.m. at Arnold Field and a second 7-inning game starting at 6:05 p.m. in San Rafael.

Tuesday's game will begin at 7:05 p.m. with the radio broadcast beginning at 6:50 p.m. Big lefty Eric Schwieger will get the start for Sonoma, who lost their only game of the season that they played in San Rafael back on June 10.

BOX SCORE

Stompers Set Franchise Record With Seventh Straight Win, 9-7

ered Mochizuki had a season-high five RBIs on Saturday, including a bases-clearing double that helped Sonoma take down Pittsburg.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

Even with another big inning early in the game much like they did on Friday night against Pittsburg, Sonoma knew that the Diamonds were not going to go down without a fight.

Thankfully, the Stompers offense answered every Pittsburg outburst with one of their own, and when Paul Hvozdovic got Rich Mejia to fly out to right field to end the game, Sonoma had set a new franchise record for wins in a row. Saturday's 9-7 victory was the seventh straight win for the Stompers, breaking the record of six the team set during the first week of the season.

While it was a seven run inning on Friday night that got Sonoma (18-3) out to a lead they would never relinquish, Saturday night's five run third inning came after a leadoff home run from Pittsburg (7-16) as Brandon Williams took Stompers starter Mike Jackson, Jr. (2-1) deep in the bottom of the first to open the scoring.

Yet Sonoma found a way in the third to get to the sidearming southpaw Mike Miller (0-1) who was making his season debut with the Diamonds. Sonoma loaded the bases with two outs, and on a pitch to the left-handed hitting Gered Mochizuki, the Stompers shortstop lined a shot down the left field line just out of the reach of Williams for a bases clearing double to give Sonoma the lead.

The doubles kept coming as Joel Carranza and Isaac Wenrich each had one of their own, giving Sonoma all five runs with two outs and a great advantage for Jackson once he went back out for the third.

Pittsburg kept battling back, though, and when the two teams looked at the scoreboard come the sixth inning, it was tied at 5-5 and the Stompers were trying to figure out how to hold off the surging Diamonds.

The Stompers got those four runs back in the later innings to give themselves the lead once again, but two critical at-bats featuring Diamonds slugger Mike Taylor became nail-biting moments for the visiting squad. Facing Jerome Godsey in the seventh as the go-ahead run, Taylor kept fouling off pitches before taking a breaking ball on the outside corner for a called strike three to end the inning on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.

When Pittsburg got two more runs in the ninth off Paul Hvozdovic, the Diamonds couldn't have asked for a better situation when Taylor strode to the plate. Just like in the seventh, there were two runners on and he represented the winning run. Just like in the seventh, he fouled off pitches to stay alive against a tough lefty. Just like in the seventh, he went down looking, this time on a perfectly placed fastball on the inside corner that froze Taylor and sent him to the dugout with his third strikeout of the evening.

That led to Mejia's flyout to give Sonoma an unprecedented 18th win in 21 games in 2015, and much like it has been all year, the Stompers offense led the team to victory again. Carranza had three hits to extend a seven-game hitting streak, pushing his average north of .300 to .301. Wenrich had two doubles on the evening and has three in his last two games. Mochizuki had a season-high five RBIs and Sergio Miranda reached base four times and drove in a run.

The hard look at the Stompers offense shows that up and down the lineup, different parts of the order come through on different nights. Tonight, it was the guys in the heart of the order that did it, and when that part of the lineup is hot, the team has looked unbeatable.

On Sunday afternoon, Matt Walker will return to Pittsburg for the first time since his one-hitter back on June 17, where he took a no-hitter into the ninth before Mejia broke it up with a one-out single. The first pitch for tomorrow's game is set for 1:05 p.m., with the radio broadcast beginning at 12:50.

BOX SCORE

Sean Conroy Becomes First Openly Gay Professional Baseball Player

Sean Conroy gets ready to make history on Thursday night.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Originally Published: Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated Wire Service

Sean Conroy became the first openly gay baseball player to appear in a professional game on Thursday.

Conroy pitched nine scoreless innings to lead the Sonoma Stompers to a 7-0 win over the Vallejo Admirals in the Pacific Association of Baseball Clubs, an independent league featuring teams from Northern California.

The Stompers' general manager, Theo Fightmaster, told the Associated Press that the team did not make a special announcement so that Conroy could focus on his start. According to Fightmaster, Conroy told teammates and management about his sexual orientation and agreed to come out on the Stompers' Pride Night.

"It's not that I wanted it to go public, but I didn't care if it was open information. It's who I am," Conroy said, according to the AP. "I am definitely surprised that no one else has been openly gay in baseball yet."

Conroy, a native of Clifton Park, N.Y., graduated from Division III Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2015. The 23-year-old made appearances as a relief pitcher before debuting as a starter on Thursday.

First Openly Gay Player K's 11 In Stompers' Win (MLB.com)

Sean Conroy smiles after his historic start on Thursday night.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Originally Published: MLB.com

Spencer Fordin, MLB.com Reporter

Sean Conroy made a statement just by doing his job on Thursday night.

Conroy, believed to be the first active openly gay player in professional baseball history, threw a shutout for the Sonoma Stompers of the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs.

Conroy struck out 11 batters and led Sonoma to a 7-0 victory over the Vallejo Admirals on Thursday night, a mere matter of hours before the Unites States Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in all 50 states in a landmark decision.

"It's something that I've wanted to do for the last few years, playing through college ball, seeing it as an opportunity to represent the cause and help young people in whatever way I can," Conroy told MLB.com about his decision to come out publicly. "From the start, all of my teammates have been very supportive. It's great to have them have my back in the field and in the dugout. It's amazing.

"All of the fan support was overwhelming -- the rainbow socks, wristbands, arm sleeves. It was just incredible."

The 23-year-old never allowed a runner to get past second base and never had an inning with more than one runner on base at a time. Conroy's 11 strikeouts were one shy of a team record, and he threw 140 pitches in the victory. Conroy told reporters after the game that the whole day was a blur.

"I still haven't been able to process it," said Conroy. "After the final out, I just wanted to celebrate with my teammates, like we always have."

Conroy, a native of Clifton Park, N.Y., pitched for Division III Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he went 6-2 with a 1.87 ERA in 2015, his senior season. Conroy logged a 1.29 ERA as a junior and a 1.81 mark as a sophomore. This year, prior to turning pro, he was named the Liberty League Pitcher of the Year.

Stompers Win Sixth straight, Outlast Diamonds, 11-8; Sonoma Now 17-3

Isaac Wenrich had three hits for Sonoma in an 11-8 victory over Pittsburg. Wenrich and teammate Joel Carranza each have five hits in their last two games.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Tim Livingston, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

For the second time over its first 20 games of 2015, the Sonoma Stompers have won six consecutive games, as they defeated the Pittsburg Diamonds in game one of their three game weekend series, 11-8.

Sonoma (17-3) got huge games from the middle of its order, as Joel Carranza (2-for-5, 2B, 2 R) and Isaac Wenrich (3-for-5, 2B) set the tone for the evening. A seven run barrage in the second-inning seemed like it was going to be enough for Sonoma, but even after sending 13 batters to the plate and chasing starter Mike DeLong (0-2), Pittsburg (7-15) kept coming and coming.

Yet even when Sonoma saw their lead cut down to 8-5 after five innings, the Stompers were able to squeeze a few more runs out of their league-leading offense, making a winner out of Jeff Conley (1-1) for the first time in his career. Erik Gonsalves and Jon Rand each threw two innings of relief to finish things up, and Sonoma has tied the franchise record win streak it set the first week of the season.

While the offense was all over the place, defense did shine bright in a few places, especially in the outfield. Matt Hibbert made a sensational grab on a fly ball to deep right field from Jay Almendral, diving back and over his left shoulder just shy of the warning track to make the first out of the fourth. Three batters later, Mark Hurley dove forward on a sinking line drive to left from Brandon Williams to steal a hit away and end the inning with the same flair Hibbert had begun it with.

The Stompers will go for a franchise-record seventh straight victory on Saturday evening when they travel back to Pittsburg for game two of their three game series. First pitch is set for 5:05 p.m. with the radio broadcast beginning at 4:50 on StompersBaseball.com and TuneIn.

BOX SCORE

Good For You, Sean Conroy!

Sonoma Stompers pitcher Sean Conroy stretches during practice Tuesday at Arnold Field in Sonoma. Conroy, 23, of Clifton Park, N.Y., is the first openly gay player to enter the professional baseball ranks, according to the Stompers.

Christopher Chung//AP via The Press Democrat

Originally Published: Baseball Essential

oshua Sadlock, Reporter

About as far away from the glittering ballparks of the Major Leagues as you can get, the Sonoma Stompers are playing host to baseball history this season. The Stompers, who play in the independent Pacific Association of Baseball Clubs, play their home games at Arnold Field in Sonoma, California. In the heart of wine country, about 50 miles north of San Francisco, a city that’s celebrating history of another kind today, the Stompers are playing this season with baseball’s first openly gay professional player.

Sean Conroy, who is 23 and in his first season with the Stompers, publicly came out ahead of his first start, a 7-0 shutout win on Pride Night. Conroy, who made teammates and management aware of his sexual orientation prior to the start of the season, has already recorded four saves for the Stompers on the season. His start marked the first time an openly gay player took the field at any level of professional baseball.

While Conroy’s teammates sported rainbow socks and armbands, Conroy did not. He preferred to let his pitching do the talking, and with 11 strikeouts over nine innings, talk it did. Conroy has been open about his sexuality since the age of 16, and did not view his public acknowledgement of it as something to be fussed over. “It’s not that I wanted it to go public, but I didn’t care if it was open information. It’s who I am,” he said. “I am definitely surprised that no one else has been openly gay in baseball yet.”

There has not yet been an openly gay player at the Major League level, although both Glenn Burke and Bill Bean have come out post-career. Baseball historian John Thorn confirmed, “Of course, that over the years, there have been rumors of this Major League player or that one being gay, but that’s just idle chatter and counts for nothing,” Thorn said. “In terms of an openly gay player, we haven’t had one yet.”

Unlike other professional athletes who have come out, Jason Collins and Michael Sam come to mind, Conroy does not appear concerned about being a pioneer. That should not overshadow the fact that he is doing something very courageous and praiseworthy. He just wants to be himself and move on with the season. I do think it’s quite telling that he chose not to wear rainbow socks or armbands. Perhaps that has something to do with the relative obscurity in which he plays. By the end of the year, most of us will have forgotten that Conroy exists, and unlike Collins and Sam, book deals, analyst gigs, and Dancing With The Stars appearances do not appear likely to follow. If he sniffs a Major League roster, it will be a miracle.

Our country is progressing in the right direction in terms of acceptance and compassion towards those who choose to love whomever they may want (evidenced, in part, by this morning’s Supreme Court decision). For Sean Conroy, being open about his life is nothing new. For a few more years, doing so will earn him the title “pioneer,” and it is a fair title to be given for a player who has done something no one else has dared to do, no matter how far removed from fame he may be. For the sake of our country, and the sake of humanity in this country, however, my only hope is that one day, such a move will not be seen as ground-breaking, or even shocking. Every single person deserves the right to feel comfortable in their own skin, as Conroy obviously does. Progress is being made toward creating a more accepting environment and atmosphere in sports, but until an athlete going against the grain is labeled a “starting pitcher” instead of a “pioneer,” there is still work to be done. Sean Conroy gets that, and for that, I commend him.

First Openly Gay Pro Baseball Player Pitches Shutout In Sonoma

Sean Conroy celebrates with catcher Isaac Wenrich after his historic start in Sonoma on Thursday.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers

Originally Published (With Video): ABC-7 News

Katie Marzullo, Reporter

The Sonoma Stompers are an independent minor league baseball team and they celebrated a shut out win and pride Thursday night, by acknowledging their starting pitcher, Sean Conroy, as the first openly gay pro baseball player.

"Having all the fans here and having Pride Night. It was just amazing," Conroy said.

In his first professional start, Conroy pitched a 7-0 shutout against the Vallejo Admirals. He is an openly gay player, which is a first for professional baseball.

"If you can play, you can play, so it doesn't matter your sexual orientation, whatever. If you love something do it," Conroy said.

It was his teammates' idea to wear something special to honor Pride Night and they couldn't be prouder of him. They wore rainbow socks to help celebrate the occasion. Fellow pitcher Jon Rand hopes the message reaches beyond the Bay Area.

"Anybody can play. You have Mo'ne Davis; you have a female baseball player. This game does not discriminate against anybody. It's a fair game," Rand said.

The fans at the game loved watching baseball and loved the message.

"An out pitcher, starting, is phenomenal. It just doesn't happen; so it's really cool to see it and I'm thrilled it's in my community and that I can be part of it," Santa Rosa resident Brenda Hays said.

The game may have served as a platform for gay rights, but don't forget, Conroy also served up a big win.

"He's here because he can pitch. He's here because he deserves a chance to pitch professionally. This isn't some sort of sideshow. He's here because he can get guys out," Theo Fightmaster, the vice president and general manager of the Sonoma Stompers said.

It's a winning team making history.

First Openly Gay Pro Baseball Player Celebrated

Sonoma Stompers pitcher Sean Conroy, left, warms up during practice at Arnold Field, in Sonoma, Calif. on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. Conroy, 23, of Clifton Park, N.Y., is the first openly gay player to enter the professional baseball ranks, according to the Stompers.

Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat via AP

Originally Published: KTVU

Staff Report

It's not the big leagues, but a Sonoma County pitcher is making big waves as the first openly gay player in professional baseball.

Thursday evening, 23-year-old Sean Conroy made his first pro start on Arnold Field in Sonoma, before a crowd of about 400 fans.

"If you can play, you can play," Conroy told KTVU in the dugout after the win.

His words were interrupted by an ice water bath over his head, drenching him and setting off cheers from his teammates.

A handful of professional players have come out as gay after their careers ended, but Conroy is the only active player to do so.

"It was very casual and comfortable, he just wanted to let people know who he is as a person," Sonoma Stompers General Manager Theo Fightmaster told KTVU, "he's been on high school teams and college teams and been openly gay and it hasn't been an issue there, and happy to say it hasn't been an issue here."

Conroy was recruited from New York, where he played college ball, and moved to Sonoma last month.

Thursday was "Pride Night" at the ballpark, which dovetailed with Conroy's desire to be open and honest about his sexual orientation.

On the field, the most telling sign of support were the rainbow stripe socks worn by his teammates.

"To us he's just one of the guys," catcher Isaac Wenrich told KTVU, "it's crazy, in the locker room, he jokes around, he's just a regular person, so it's really cool that we can show him a little love too."

First baseman Tommy Lyons agreed, noting that there are undoubtedly major leaguers who are gay, but afraid to come out.

"We've all heard rumors of different players over the years," Lyons acknowledged,

"and it's unfortunate that there's still a bias today against that. He's just another one of the guys. That's how we see him."

The Sonoma Stompers are one of four teams in the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball.

Among Conroy's noisiest supporters in the grandstand: his host parents who house and feed him, and transport him to and from ballparks. The league is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or its farm system. It's small budget baseball with an abundance of passion, and big dreams.

"Sean's not really looking for this notoriety," host parent Barry Bosshard told KTVU, "he's really just guy who wants to make it, play baseball."

Most of the fans were regulars at Stompers Games, but a few spectators said they'd come because of Pride Night and Conroy.

"Even the kids, they're wearing the rainbow wristbands," Grace Villafuerte of Santa Rosa told KTVU, "like it's normal, and that blows my mind. It's beautiful. Times have changed."

And at games end, with Conroy pitching all nine innings, to a 7-0 shutout of the Vallejo Admirals, everyone was on their feet cheering, their ace who happens to be an advocate too.

"I'm not active in the community yet, but maybe soon," smiled Conroy, "but I just love being out there. I hope people can follow my example."

At game's end, he had a line of local children waiting for his autograph.

"There's kids in the audience who will look at Sean and know he's brave enough to say it and he's good at baseball," noted his skipper, Fightmaster, "and they'll realize all that matters is that he's good at getting guys out."

First Openly Gay Pro Baseball Player Makes History, Pitches Shutout

Sean Conroy is congratulated by Isaac Wenrich after his performance on Thursday night.

James Toy III/Sonoma Stompers via AP

Originally Published: Think Progress

Kiley Kroh, Senior Editor

Sean Conroy pitched a complete game shutout on Thursday night, striking out 11 and allowing just three hits, to lead the Sonoma Stompers to a decisive 7-0 victory over the Vallejo Admirals. He also made history, becoming the first openly gay active professional baseball player.

“He wanted to be that guy, and coming out here and doing this shows you what kind of man he is,” remarked Tim Livingston, the team’s radio broadcaster, as the game came to an end. “To see this little field here in the middle of nowhere, when we look back it will have been the perfect setting for this.”

The Stompers, part of the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball, play in a small 370-seat field in Northern California wine country. When the 23-year-old right-hander was announced with the rest of the starting lineup, Conroy received the loudest cheers. “It’s great they cheered for him,” Nancy Dito, 67 and one of three fans selected to throw out the first pitch, told the Associated Press. “I think it’s courageous and wonderful he’s doing this.”

Conroy shared his sexual orientation with the Stompers when he was first recruited out of college in May. General Manager Theo Fightmaster told the AP that the team was supportive of Conroy and whatever extent he wanted to take his story public.

“It’s not that I wanted it to go public, but I didn’t care if it was open information. It’s who I am,” Conroy said. “I am definitely surprised that no one else has been openly gay in baseball yet.”

Former major leaguer Glenn Burke retired from baseball in 1979 and became the first player to come out publicly in 1982. After his career was over, Burke spoke about the way he was treated and how the pressure of being a closeted player contributed to his decision to leave the sport at just 27 years old.
“It’s harder to be gay in sports than anywhere else, except maybe president,” he said. “Baseball is probably the hardest sport of all.”

Burke and several of his former teammates have said they believe he was traded by the Dodgers in 1978 because he was gay. In his final season with the A’s, “the team’s new manager, Billy Martin, reportedly addressed Burke with homophobic slurs in front of teammates,” according to the New York Times. Burke died of AIDS in 1995.

Billy Bean retired from professional baseball in 1995, after six seasons in the majors, and came out publicly in 1999. Last year, Major League Baseball named Bean its first Ambassador for Inclusion. Following pioneering athletes like basketball’s Jason Collins and football’s Michael Sam, Bean was hired explicitly to promote LGBT inclusion and awareness across baseball.

The task is no small one. After Bean spent time with the Mets during spring training this year, infielder Daniel Murphy told reporters that he “disagreed” with Bean’s lifestyle and the fact that he is gay. Bean’s response was one of patience. “When I took this job at MLB, I knew it was going to take time for many to embrace my message of inclusion,” he wrote in a blog post. “Expecting everyone to be supportive right away is simply not realistic.”

Bean was driving to Arizona to do a session with the Diamondbacks on Friday and hadn’t yet heard how Conroy pitched. “That’s awesome,” he said when I told him about the shutout over the phone. “These are the kinds of things that I think move our message. It’s a positive story about athleticism and competition, his desire to compete and be his best self. That’s how you create change among his peers — they see a guy who went out there and pitched a shutout.”

With the historic Supreme Court ruling bringing marriage equality to all 50 states, Bean said his phone was “blowing up,” but that he wanted to share “100 percent admiration and support for Sean,” and added that he’d be reaching out to Conroy to tell him the same directly. “It’s a great day for many people and I’m proud to have the support of MLB for the message of inclusion.”

Pitcher Sean Conroy Makes History as Baseball's First Openly Active Gay Pro

Sean Conroy and Isaac Wenrich hug after Conroy's historic start on Thursday night.

James Toy/Sonoma Stompers via AP

Originally Published: NBC 11 Bay Area

Lisa Leff and Olga Rodriguez, AP

Baseball history was made on a field of wistful dreams in Northern California's wine country Thursday with the appearance of the sport's first openly gay active professional.

Pitcher Sean Conroy, 23, took the mound in his first start for the Sonoma Stompers, a 22-man team that is part of the independent Pacific Association of Baseball Clubs.

"Leading up to the game it was definitely more stressful than usual," Conroy said.

The Stompers recruited the upstate New York native out of college in May. General Manager Theo Fightmaster says Conroy privately shared his sexual orientation with teammates and management before agreeing to come out publicly in time for the team's home field gay pride night.

“The first conversation I had with Sean was, `I want you to know this organization supports you, we respect who you are. We respect who you as a pitcher and a person and to whatever degree you want your story told, we'll help facilitate that,’” Fightmaster said. “His goal has always been to be the first openly gay baseball player, so he was very much in favor of telling the story, of carrying that torch.”

Conroy's debut as a starting pitcher for the Stompers on Thursday not only was historic, but was one to remember after he pitched a complete-game shutout and striking out 11 batters on 140 pitches.

"If you can play, you can play," Conroy said. "It doesn't matter your sexual orientation, whatever. If you love something do it."

Major League Baseball historian John Thorn confirmed that Conroy is the first active professional to come out as gay. Glenn Burke, an outfielder for the A's and Dodgers, and Billy Bean, a utility player with the Tigers, Dodgers and Padres, came out after they retired.

“Of course that over the years there have been rumors of this Major League player or that one being gay, but that's just idle chatter and counts for nothing,” Thorn said. “In terms of an openly gay player as (the) pitcher in your neck of the woods, we haven't had one yet.”

Conroy, a right-hander who has earned four saves and allowed only two hits in the seven innings he has pitched so far as a closer for the 15-3 Stompers, said he had been open with his high school, summer league and college teams and told his family he was gay at age 16. It would have been strange not to do the same with once he moved across the country and started making friends on the team in Sonoma, he said.

“People would talk about their girlfriends and who they were going out to see that night. Instead of getting the different looks or questions when I didn't join them, I'd rather tell you the truth and let you know who I am and have real conversations instead of the fake ones,” Conroy said.

As far as coming out publicly, Conroy said he regards it as a way to both help his team and to set an example for other players.

“It's not that I wanted it to go public, but I didn't care if it was open information. It's who I am,” he said. “I am definitely surprised that no one else has been openly gay in baseball yet.”

Bean, who serves as Major League Baseball's ambassador of inclusion, called Conroy a pioneer and said he planned to keep an eye on the young pitcher.

“It will be a great day for the LGBT community. I hope he pitches well and gets another opportunity to start another game,” Bean said. “It doesn't matter if he pitches in the big leagues or not, he's going to become a leader (tonight) in many ways, an influential leader for a lot of young kids not only in that community but those who will read the story and who may be pondering that same decision in their teenage years and they want to be baseball players or they want to be football players.”

Conroy's history-making start comes at a watershed moment for gay rights, with the U.S. Supreme Court scheduled to rule any day now on whether to make same-sex marriage legal across the nation.

The Stompers are not planning to make a special announcement or call attention to the milestone so Conroy can focus on his pitching, although some players will be wearing rainbow socks or other gay pride symbols in support of their teammate, Fightmaster said.

“As a small independent team we do try to find ways to be relevant, and this is certainly in that category. But I think the Giants would do the exact same thing if they were in this situation,” he said. “We try to saddle that line between respecting the game and doing what's right by the players who are here every day and doing stuff outside the box enough so people realize we exist.”

The life of a Stomper is certainly a far cry from the majors. Players live with host families during the June-to-August season, earn $650 a month on average and supply their own cleats, batting gloves and elbow guards. Arnold Field, their home turf, seats 370.

Conroy hopes to catch the eye of a big league scout, but hasn't focused on much beyond this season.

“I’m just looking to play well and do as well as I can wherever they put me,” he said.

NBC Bay Area's Ian Cull contributed to this report.