PHOENIX – Corbin Carroll may have robbed a home run Friday night, but it was his girlfriend who stole the entire show before a pitch was even thrown.
Arizona’s series opener against the Dodgers featured a little bit of everything. It started with a heartwarming moment, though, as Carroll’s girlfriend, Emma Broyles, surprised the 25-year-old outfielder by singing the national anthem prior to the game.
Carroll said on Saturday that he knew something was afoot after team PR asked him to stand in a specific spot for the night’s performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” but he was “in the dark” as to exactly what was about to take place.
Then he saw Broyles come out with a microphone.
“I knew something was up,” Carroll said. “I didn’t know until I saw her.”
Broyles, who was crowned Miss America 2022 and is a global ambassador for Special Olympics and Special Olympics Alaska, crushed the anthem in front of nearly 50,000 fans at Chase Field.
The memorable moment caught Carroll by surprise, though he said he knew she would steal the show.
“I was just like, ‘All right, let’s hear it,’” he said with a grin.
Not to be outdone, Carroll stole the spotlight right back in the third inning of the D-backs’ 4-3 walk-off win when he robbed Tommy Edman of a home run. The star outfielder leaped high into the air at the right-field wall, pulling back what looked like a no-doubter off Edman’s bat.
Carroll didn’t know if he would make the play up until the moment it landed in his glove, and he elevated so high that his shoulder was actually above the top of the wall when he snagged the ball.
“I think that was probably like the highest I've gotten on a chance like that,” he said. “It was cool.”
So, is that something he practices?
“During Spring Training, there's always a couple days there, and maybe one or two during the season,” Carroll said. “But I think [first-base coach Dave] McKay doesn't want us to hurt ourselves, so not too often.”
Practice or not, the speedster just keeps adding to his highlight reel collection.