Carly Pearce Will Sing the National Anthem as the World Series Shifts to Tampa for Game 3
Grammy-winning country star Carly Pearce will sing the national anthem before Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night, as the Tampa Bay Rays return home looking for a way back into the series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Game 3 stage
USA TODAY reported that the series resumes on Monday 26 October at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, with first pitch scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Fox. The Rays trail the best-of-seven series 2-0 after dropping the first two games in Milwaukee, 3-2 and 5-4, so Game 3 is a must-win night for the home side.
Pearce will perform the anthem as part of the pregame festivities. Former Rays manager Joe Maddon, who led Tampa Bay to its first World Series in 2008, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch, USA TODAY reported. It is the first World Series game at Tropicana Field since Maddon’s 2008 team beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in Game 2 of that series.
Who is Carly Pearce?
Pearce, a native of Taylor Mill, Kentucky, broke through nationally in 2017 with her song “Every Little Thing,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and helped earn her a national recording contract, according to USA TODAY.
She won a Grammy Award in 2023 for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, teaming up with Ashley McBryde on “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.” Her trophy cabinet also includes three Country Music Association awards, four Academy of Country Music awards and one CMT Music award. She became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2021, receiving her invitation from the late Dolly Parton.
The World Series booking comes at a busy moment in her career. Pearce released her fifth studio album, “Honest Woman,” on 28 August, and wrapped up her latest tour on 22 October, USA TODAY reported.
Why the anthem moment matters
National anthem performances have become one of the World Series’ most talked-about pregame traditions, with each game giving a different artist a huge live-television stage. Pearce follows Kylie Cantrall, who sang the anthem before Game 2 in Milwaukee, and her turn in Tampa puts a country voice at the centre of a Florida night when the Rays need a lift most.
For Tampa Bay, the stakes are plain. No team wants to fall 3-0 behind in a World Series, and a rousing home opener — anthem, first pitch and all — is part of the plan to turn the series around. For Pearce, it is another career milestone on one of American sport’s biggest stages.
Sources: USA TODAY, 26 October 2026.