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What’s better than a hard-fought victory on the diamond? Put one on your loved one’s finger, if you ask Cleveland Guardians wide receiver Austin Hedges.
Hedges not only helped the Guardians defeat the Baltimore Orioles, 8-4, on Sunday – he got engaged to his girlfriend, Lexi Dickson, at Progressive Field.
Hedges knelt on the grass as a message played on the Cleveland Stadium Jumbotron while his teammates watched. Dickson was shocked and emotional, finally telling Hedges, “Yes!” before hearing the cheers of the spectators.
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Austin Hedges and his girlfriend Lexi Dickinson celebrate their engagement after the Cleveland Guardians’ 8-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on April 19, 2026. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Hedges told reporters he’s had the ring for his girlfriend of almost two years since spring training, but he didn’t have that plan until “just a few weeks ago.”
“I really hoped we would win the game,” he told Cleveland.com. “I was going to do it anyway, but I really wanted to win this match to make it even more special.”
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The message on the video board read: “Lexi, will you marry me?” which prompted Hedges to get on his knees.
“There were a lot of nerves, a lot of nerves,” Hedges, 33, said. “I’m always nervous before baseball games…and I just try to stay present, knowing there are activities afterward. But it’s a special day. Special to be able to soak it all in.”
Dickson, sporting a custom black jacket with Hedges’ number and photos of her now fiancé on the back, showed off his ring to Guardians players, friends and family who took photos on the field.
Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges proposed to his fiancée Lexi Dickinson on the field after a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on April 19, 2026. (David Dermer/Imagn Images)
It wasn’t the best of days for Hedges at the plate, going 0 for 4, although he did score a run. But a win to move to 13-10 on the season is all that matters to him in the end.
As for the after-party, Hedges and Dickson planned a low-key Sunday evening to decompress after an adrenaline-filled afternoon.
“Go to dinner and then have an evening alone and enjoy it,” Hedges said.
Austin Hedges of the Cleveland Guardians proposes to his girlfriend Lexi Dickinson after the team’s 8-4 victory against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on April 19, 2026. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
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It’s probably the right decision for Hedges, who welcomes the Houston Astros to town to begin a three-game series at Progressive Field on Monday night.
But he and Dickson get to enjoy their first night as an engaged couple in the next chapter of their baseball love story.
