Pittsburgh sports have such a special way of bringing the community together, and a lot of work goes into making it a memorable experience for the fans. Two Baldwin High School alums took their “Most School Spirit” awards from senior year and dove straight into the Pittsburgh sports scene as members of the Pirate’s Bucco Brigade entertainment team. Meet Liz Langer and Kevin Hutchinson.
Hutchinson is experiencing his first season with the Bucco Brigade, and might be pumping up the fans with the T-shirt toss or raising the Jolly Roger, as well as behind the scenes work to keep the fun running smoothly. Langer, who just completed her sophomore year studying communications at the University of Pittsburgh, returns this year for a second season, and finds a lot of joy in seeing families bond during the games. She shares, “Walking around the ballpark every work shift, you get to catch snippets of people’s conversations. People talking about that one time they caught a ball off of the first baseline, the time they were on Federal Street before a game and got their favorite alumni’s signature, a time they were at PNC Park with their whole family 15 years ago and their grandson got a picture with a pierogi — those are the stories and moments that make it all worth it. Being able to be a part of these stories and this magic surrounding one team is my absolute favorite part of being on the Bucco Brigade.”
As a former Highlander mascot from his BHS days, Hutchinson is well versed in working the crowd, entertaining and talking with the fans, and having fun. Langer was a cheerleader from second grade on, and says it prepared her well for the Bucco Brigade gig: “I felt right at home. It is awesome to see how something that I did throughout my time at BWSD had been able to lead me through this next phase of my life. Truly one of those full circle moments.”
The two Brigade members share their funniest moment so far in the season. For Hutchinson, he was most entertained when working with the Pierogies, getting them arranged for their release onto the field for the hilarious Pierogi Race. “I’ve always been a fan of the pierogis” he shares (and who isn’t!). Langer’s favorite moment was setting up for the Chick-Fil-A “Spot the Cow” game, in a section of fans delighted to join in. “This group of teenage boys started freaking out because they were so excited to be with the Cow,” she laughs. “Instant selfies and ‘eat more chicken’ chants erupted from these boys. It was so funny and always stuck with me.”
Creating opportunities for special moments pointed Langer towards a sports career in community relations and charity foundation work, “to create these WOW moments for fans all over” she declares. Hutchinson is also exploring a sports career, looking at sports media in the football world. While their school spirit cheerleading and mascot days in Baldwin might be behind them, Langer and Hutchinson will take their BHS experiences onward to create memorable moments and entertain the fans, whether in Pittsburgh or beyond.
They are not the only Highlanders part of the Bucco Brigade! Baldwin High School alum Michaela Woods gives the inside scoop on the fun as a 3-year member of the Bucco Brigade.
Woods genuinely loves meeting Pirates fans and making connections. “Whether it is giving a fan a prize or making someone chuckle by wearing a silly costume for theme nights, I love adding to the positive energy that radiates from PNC Park!” she explains. As a team leader this year, she and the Bucco Brigade will be planning and performing all kinds of fun during the games, but also at the Federal Street Block Parties, PiratesFest, and local parades. The Brigade crew keeps themselves entertained too — last year Patsy the hobby horse was adopted as the team pet and good-luck charm. “We had so many belly laughs dancing around with Patsy!” she shares.
With on-camera moments a frequent part of her role, Woods knows that her classes at BHS were great preparation for interviewing fans. She appreciates, “Assignments like mock debates in history classes or conversational French assessments with Miss Jarocki helped me learn how to process information while remaining engaged with an audience. We are often on camera or fan-facing while actively problem solving, so I have learned how to remain composed and confident while moving through my day.”
When she’s not cheering on the Pirates (or the Penguins, as their Entertainment Coordinator too!), Woods is currently applying for her Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She’s spent the past three and a half years working with students with autism at The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh, and is looking forward to furthering her skills as a speech therapist. Her hard work and positive spirit promise to serve her well in those future endeavors.