Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010 | 1:35 p.m.
Danny Castillo swings at Shane Roller during their lightweight bout at The Palms on Nov. 18, 2009. Roller won by stoppage.
WEC lightweight top contender and Las Vegas resident Shane Roller will throw out the ceremonial first pitch Thursday at the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s game at Cashman Field.
Roller, who trains out of the Cobra Kai gym, moved to Las Vegas in 2009 with his wife and two children.
"This is a really exciting experience for me," Roller said. "Las Vegas has really adopted me as one of its own and, getting to throw out the first pitch for Las Vegas' team is thrilling."
A former wrestler at Oklahoma State University, Roller (8-2) is riding a three-fight win streak in the WEC.
His latest win came against fellow Las Vegas fighter Anthony Njokuani, whom he submitted in the first round of their lightweight fight April 24 in Sacramento.
Roller joins a number of mixed martial arts fighters to have thrown out a first pitch a baseball game.
UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones recently did the honors at a San Diego Padres game July 30 at PETCO Park. Las Vegas resident Randy Couture is scheduled to do so this weekend at The Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., before a game between the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers.
Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at LVSunFighting
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