Zebra Pen Named “Official Signature Pen” of Ripken Baseball®, Baseball Factory™, and Softball Factory™ through Multi-Year Partnership
(BALTIMORE – July 9, 2024) — Ripken Baseball®, the leader in youth baseball and softball experiences, today announced a multi-year partnership with Zebra Pen Corporation. As the “Official Signature Pen” of Ripken Baseball, Zebra Pen will collaborate with Baseball Factory and Softball Factory, in addition to The Ripken Experience® in Aberdeen, Md., Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and Myrtle Beach, S.C. The partnership will include the “Signature Moment” series that will celebrate the journey of high school athletes who continue their athletic careers in college.
“Zebra Pen brings a unique opportunity to enhance the experiences of our young athletes,” said Wade Martin, CEO of Unrivaled Sports, the parent company of Ripken Baseball. “This partnership aligns with our mission to provide young athletes a platform to capture and celebrate their journey and achievements.”
The partnership will feature the rebranding of complex bullpens at select Ripken Baseball locations as the “Zebra Zen Pen,” where announcers will highlight pitchers entering the game from these designated areas. Player-centric activations will be rolled out across social and digital platforms, providing players with tools to share their unique stories and signature moments.
“Youth sports, especially at the level of high school athletes, often represent signature moments in their career as they move from high school to college,” said Ken Newman, VP of Marketing of Zebra Pen Corporation. “Zebra Pen strives to be a part of those signature moments helping athletes and parents capture those life moments. Our partnership with Ripken Baseball aligns wonderfully with our mission. Similar to Zebra Pen, Ripken Baseball has a rich history in this space and is synonymous with helping young athletes achieve their dreams and make long-lasting memories. We are delighted and enthusiastic to embark on this journey to connect with young athletes alongside such a well-recognized and established partner like Ripken Baseball.”
The partnership kicks off with a social media giveaway where followers will have a chance to win Cal Ripken, Jr. autographed memorabilia that was signed using Zebra products. Looking ahead to 2025 and 2026, the partnership will expand to include Signage Creation Stations at all Ripken Baseball complexes, the Baseball Factory All-America Game, influencer activations, and an editorial series highlighting athletes’ signature moments.
About Zebra Pen Corporation
Zebra Pen Corporation was founded in New York in August 1982 as an independent corporation wholly owned by Zebra Co., Ltd., of Tokyo, Japan. A New Jersey based writing instrument manufacturer, Zebra Pen Corporation's mission is to distribute products that are of the highest quality, providing value to consumers and meeting their overall writing and creative needs with a wide variety of products. Zebra Pen Corporation offers a full line of writing and creative products, including ballpoint pens, gel pens, rollerball pens, mechanical pencils, highlighters, porous pens/markers and brush pens. Today, with over 40 years of excellence behind them in the USA, Zebra Pen Corporation continues to leverage their knowledge and experience in writing and advancements in ink technology. Zebra Pen proudly offers an extensive line of quality writing and creative products including MILDLINER™, CLiCKART®, STEEL®, SARASA®, Z-Grip® brands and more. For more information, visit ZebraPen.com.
About Ripken Baseball
As part of the Unrivaled Sports family of properties, Ripken Baseball brings teammates, coaches, and families together through its Big League Experiences while teaching children how to play sports the right way – the Ripken Way. Ripken Baseball continues to innovate the game through tournaments, camps, clinics, and spring training at their state-of-the-art facilities – The Ripken Experience® Aberdeen Powered by Under Armour® (Maryland), The Ripken Experience® Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), The Ripken Experience® Pigeon Forge (Tennessee), The Ripken Experience® Elizabethtown (Kentucky), Cooperstown All Star Village (New York), Diamond Nation (New Jersey), and Sports Force Parks™ at Cedar Point Sports Center (Ohio). Ripken Baseball also develops and trains athletes through Baseball Factory™, Softball Factory™, and the All-Ripken Games. Learn more about Ripken Baseball at ripkenbaseball.com.
CONTACT:
Eric Nemeth – on behalf of Ripken Baseball
nemeth@ericpr.com
602-502-2793 cell