Hagerstown resident Zach Owen recounted his eventful day as the Contestant of the Game. A ‘perfect storm’ of power hitting that won him a $7,000 prize!
On Sept. 25, with the baseball season winding down, the Baltimore Orioles headed to New York to wrap up their schedule against the Yankees. Although Baltimore had been eliminated from postseason contention a day earlier, it didn’t dampen the spirits of Zach Owen. The lucky Lottery player selected as a Contestant of the Game saw a series of incredible events come together on an early fall day, leading to a $7,000 prize.
The 43-year-old Hagerstown resident had been chosen as a Maryland Lottery Contestant of the Game, as part of the 2026 Contestant of the Game second-chance promotion.
Owen was originally selected for the Sept. 26 game against the Yankees, but an impending Nor’easter meant a downpour was headed to New York, and that game was rescheduled to be the opener of a doubleheader played Sept. 25.
‘Coach’ Owen had his hands full with little league practice that afternoon, but was following along with a broadcast of the game on his phone while he coached his team, sneaking peeks when he had a chance.
The game was packed with Orioles offense, including a Jeremiah Jackson inside-the-park home run, Dylan Beavers’ first career grand slam and the ‘Polar Bear’ Pete Alonso hitting his 42nd and 43rd home runs of the season — a monumental performance that helped Alonso finish the season as the American League leader in home runs and runs batted in.
For Owen, it all added up to a $7,000 win as the Contestant of the Game. He received $500 for being selected, plus an additional $500 for each home run and $5,000 for the Beavers grand slam.
“Between the rainout and Pete’s push towards the home run title, it was the ‘perfect storm’ that led to this result,” said Owen.
The lucky Contestant of the Game said he plans to use a portion of his winnings to make some more baseball dreams come true. He plans to purchase his son a high-quality baseball glove.
This year’s 2026 Contestant of the Game second-chance promotion ran from March through August and selected a Maryland Lottery Contestant of the Game for each game in the Orioles 2026 season. Contestants of the Game each won $500 for being selected, along with $500 for each Orioles’ home run and $5,000 for each Orioles’ grand slam during their designated game. This year’s promotion also featured the VIP Game Day Experience for six lucky winners that awarded a $1,500 prize and a VIP ballpark experience in addition to being a Contestant of the Game. With the Orioles 193 home runs and six grand slams, the 2026 promotion awarded a total of $217,500.
Although this year’s Contestant of the Game promotion has concluded, the Lottery’s Home Run Riches Walk-Off Winnings FAST PLAY ticket still offer players a chance to win a progressive jackpot. Available at all Maryland Lottery retailers, from clerk-operated terminals and self-service vending machines, the $5 game features a progressive jackpot that starts at $40,000 and grows with each ticket sold until a jackpot-winning ticket is purchased. There are also thousands of additional instant-win prizes ranging from $5 to $5,000.
