BLOG: Lundell Meets Marlins, Throws 1st Pitch

MIAMI -Anton Lundell's first time at the ballpark was one he'll never forget.
Making the trip from Finland to South Florida less than two weeks ago to begin his preparations for the upcoming season, the Panthers prospect took the mound at LoanDepot park to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Miami Marlins hosted the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

After receiving a few on-field pointers from pitcher Palbo Lopez, Lundell, who was decked out in a custom No. 15 Marlins jersey and a Panthers hat, took his place at the center of the baseball diamond and tossed a pitch across the plate right into the glove of shortstop Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Play ball.
"I was pretty happy," Lundell, who had Panthers teammates Markus Nutivaara and Aleksi Heponiemi cheering him on from the sidelines, said of his throw. "It was just my goal to get it to Jazz. This is my first baseball game ever. It's been cool. I'm already having a great time here."

Despite having never played baseball, Lundell said he didn't completely feel like a fish out of water on the mound. Back home in Finland, he sometimes plays a game known as pesäpallo, which also utilizes a bat and ball, but has a whole different set of rules and a lot more action.
In pesäpallo, Lundell notes, the pitcher stands right next to the batter, not 60-plus feet away.
"Finnish baseball is a whole different sport," he said. "We play it a lot there."

With his first baseball game in the books, Lundell will now turn his attention back to hockey as he and 23 other prospects are scheduled to hit the ice for development camp at the Panthers IceDen from Sept. 10-14 before heading across the state for a Prospect Showcase Tournament.
The 12th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, Lundell, who won't turn 20 until Oct. 3, is hoping to secure a spot with the Panthers after honing his skills in Finland's top league, Liiga, over the past three seasons, including scoring 16 goals in 26 games with HIFK in 2020-21.
On the international stage, Lundell captained Finland to a bronze medal at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship and also took home a silver medal at the 2021 IIHF World Championship.
"It's a new chapter of my life. I'm really excited," Lundell said of playing in North America. "It's my first time living in Florida. It's really exciting. I can't wait for the season to get going."