On September 5, Linganore High School (LHS) alum Ben Moore walked through the outfield, dirtying his cleats as he stepped onto the mound of Virginia Credit Union Stadium. The sounds of fans cheering could be heard all around when Moore made his professional pitching debut for the Fredericksburg Nationals.
This moment followed a lifelong career with the sport, as Moore began playing baseball at only 7-years-old.
For many years it was nothing more than a pastime. It was not until eighth grade that he began to clearly see the sport as a part of his future.
One of Moore’s former teammates, across many teams during their eight years playing together, LHS alum Bryan Kennedy recalls seeing the change in Moore at 13.
“He always had a strong arm, but I would say he had a major leap around that age,” Kennedy said. “At this point, he was able to leverage his velocity, start working on his curveball and slider, and the fact that he was left handed [helped].”
With this new development in his performance, Moore made Linganore’s varsity baseball team his freshman year and quickly became their star pitcher. Throughout his years in high school, Moore drastically improved his game. With his new goal of continuing baseball into college and professionally, he stepped up his pitching game tremendously, especially his slider, according to Kennedy.
“One of the most spectacular sights as a catcher is holding your glove on the opposite side of the plate compared to where the ball was released, and watching it fly at you and then at the last minute, [the ball] bite[s] and hook[s] across the plate right into the glove,” Kennedy said.
His improvement and hard work paid off during his junior year, when Moore traveled to showcases all over the East Coast. It was there dozens of college and professional scouts closely watched high school prospects for their next pick. This included schools such as Virginia Tech, University of South Carolina and Pepperdine University, and Major League Baseball (MLB) teams including the Philadelphia Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers.
With many offers to consider, Moore ultimately landed on the college route, committing to Old Dominion University (ODU), a NCAA Division I school in Norfolk, Virginia.
During his freshman year at ODU, Moore was named Second Team Freshman All-American by Perfect Game, an honor for top-performing freshman baseball players. He was awarded this for his 1.88 earned run average (ERA), managed among 21 appearances and one start.
He played another two seasons with the school, growing both his skills and his confidence in the sport. Following his junior season, Moore made the decision to enter the MLB Draft.
In the 2025 draft in July, Moore was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 12th round, the 351st pick overall.
Following the draft, he flew down to West Palm Beach, Florida to begin spring training and to sign his contract with the Nationals. There, he spent six weeks with coaches and other players, learning the basics of the new team. He anticipated continuing his training for the rest of the season.
“I wasn’t really expecting to be moved to an affiliate so late in the season,” Moore said. “Little did I know my flight would be moved up so I could join the Fredericksburg Nationals for the remainder of the season, who were fighting for a playoff spot.”
Moore flew back to Maryland on September 3 and, just two days later, took his first steps onto the mound as a Fredericksburg National (well, a Fredericksburg Frog for the night, in honor of a past African-American team.)
Though many may have been nervous in his position, Moore shared that he felt it was “nothing but another game and something [he’s] done a hundred times.”
“I’ve played in front of large crowds and in big moments countless times, so I’ve learned how to handle any pressure that comes with it,” Moore said.
During the game, Moore came in as a relief pitcher in the seventh inning, pitching a total of two innings. He had a great first outing, pitching two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
Moore shared how validating it was to get his first professional strikeout, proving to everyone watching that he does belong in the big leagues.
Moore’s family attended the game, eager to watch him in his professional debut. However, their view of this play was not as expected. “He’s about to get his first strikeout and this big purple thing [the Nationals’ team mascot, Gus] is standing in front of me, and I’m waving him out of the way, and he just won’t move,” Kimberly Moore, Ben Moore’s mother said.
Despite his family’s disappointing experience of this once-in-a-lifetime moment, Moore has much to be proud of: The Nationals won the game with a walk-off grand slam, clinching a playoff spot for the team.
Moore described it as “a surreal welcome” to the professional leagues.
“My first appearance being in a game of that magnitude is something that everyone dreams of,” Moore said.
He took the mound again on September 9 and will remain with the Fredericksburg Nationals for the rest of the 2025 season, as they continue into the playoffs. After these games conclude, the future is not exactly clear for Moore, but there is still plenty for him to work towards and accomplish.
“Now that he has reached the big leagues, his work has only started,” Kennedy said. “I plan on continuing to expect the most of him and watch him climb the ladder of the minor leagues and hopefully, one day, get to see him play in a major league stadium.”
To see the team’s full schedule for the rest of the year and buy tickets, click here.
