PITTSBURGH (June 21, 2022) – Zenni will join together with the Pittsburgh Knights professional esports organization and baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates to sponsor ‘Gaming Knight at PNC Park’ on Saturday, July 23. Zenni, the leading online eyewear retailer and the official eyewear provider of the Knights will sponsor the evening featuring an in-person tournament for high school students, along with special ticket packages for gamers and other esports-oriented activities at the stadium on Federal Street prior to the game.
The Rocket League tournament, organized by the Knights, Pittsburgh’s professional esports and gaming team, will take place in the stadium’s Left Field Lounge and start at 4:30 pm EST, ahead of that evening’s game between the Pirates and Miami Marlins, which begins at 7:05 pm EST.
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At Zenni, we’re proud of our partnership with the Knights and our strong presence in the esports community, as well as relationships with professional teams and athletes in a number of different traditional sports, including baseball, says Sean Pate, Zenni’s Brand Marketing and Communications Officer. “This is a unique opportunity to combine those two audiences and highlight our Blokz by Zenni gaming eyewear, and we jumped at the chance to support this event, the Pittsburgh community and an emerging generation of fans and gamers.
Students interested in participating in the tournament, and watching the Pirates game, can get more details and register for the tournament online at: pirates.com/gamingknight. A $25 registration fee includes two tickets to the baseball game and one entry into the tournament. Individuals who are interested in watching the tournament in the Left Field Lounge or participating in Rocket League ‘free play’ once the tournament is over, can purchase a ticket for $19.00. Co-branded Pirates and Knights baseball caps will also be available for purchase.
Working with our partners at Zenni and the Pirates to bring together our local gaming community for an in-person tournament at PNC Park is another unique way to create connections, provide positive experiences and bring people together through gaming, says Knights president James O’Connor. Obviously, without Zenni and the Pirates, we wouldn’t be able to make this event happen for the Pittsburgh gaming community.
The stadium’s Left Field Lounge is one of the stadium’s larger venues which offers views of both the playing field and the city of Pittsburgh. When the tournament is complete and the winners are determined, it will be announced on the Pirates scoreboard between innings of the game. Following the completion of the tournament, the Left Field Lounge will be open for Rocket League ‘free play’ from 7:00 to 9:00 pm EST, for those purchasing tickets with access to the area.
Members of the Knights professional Rocket League team will be on hand during the evening, as will several of the Knights influencers.
Landon “McLando” Mellor, the head coach of the Knights professional Rocket League team, will attend the tournament at PNC Park. “In all my time coaching esports, this marks the first time I can ever remember a gaming tournament taking place during a major league baseball game,” says McLando. “It will be a unique setting that will definitely provide a great environment for a Rocket League tourney.”
We’re excited to join together with another one of Pittsburgh’s professional teams, the Knights, along with their partners at Zenni to host our inaugural Gaming Knight, says Stephen Perkins, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Fan Engagement. This will give local gamers a unique first-time major league experience at PNC Park with the Pirates, and provides us with an introduction to the world of esports and gaming.
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ABOUT ZENNI
Zenni, the official eyewear of the Knights, pioneered the online eyewear retail industry in 2003 with a mission to make eyewear affordable and accessible to everyone. Zenni Gaming’s blue blocking lens technology, called Blokz, is a level up from other performance eyewear in the esports world. Whether you’re a pro player or casual gamer, Blokz protects your eyes from blue light and helps reduce eye strain to improve performance. It’s protection, quality and design for every style and every game to help gamers play longer; play stronger.
