Goldsby Field didn’t just host a baseball game on June 22—it hosted a homecoming.

John Foster, the soulful 18-year-old American Idol runner-up and proud Addis native, returned to his Louisiana roots in unforgettable fashion. Standing at home plate in a Rougarou jersey, with the American flag billowing behind him and thousands of hometown fans looking on, Foster delivered a spine-tingling rendition of the National Anthem that turned the stadium into something sacred.

“I’m just a small-town kid with a big dream — and y’all gave me a stage,” he said before taking the mic. And when he sang, it wasn’t just music—it was Louisiana itself singing.

His rich, heartfelt vocals echoed across the ballpark with such pride that longtime fans were moved to tears. “He didn’t just sing the anthem,” said one local musician in the crowd, “he made us feel it in our bones.” Even the youngest fans fell silent, wrapped in the gravity of the moment.

But Foster wasn’t finished.

Moments after his powerful performance, he stepped onto the pitcher’s mound for the ceremonial first pitch. With the confidence of someone who’s sung on the biggest stage in America and the humility of someone who still calls his town “home,” he wound up and tossed a perfect strike—prompting another round of roaring applause.

“He’s one of us,” said a misty-eyed fan in the stands. “Watching him up there, you don’t just see a singer—you see hope, pride, and proof that dreams can grow right out of this Louisiana dirt.”

The crowd surged forward after the anthem, eager to shake his hand, snap selfies, and share hugs. Foster obliged them all with that same easy smile and sincerity that made America fall in love with him during his Idol run.

This stop at the Rougarou game is just one part of a whirlwind summer for the rising star. After his Grand Ole Opry debut earlier this month, Foster is set to return to the Opry stage on his 19th birthday, July 9, for a performance that promises to be as emotional as it is electric. He’ll share the stage again on August 21 with country favorite Jamey Johnson.

“Playing the @opry was one of the biggest honors of my life,” Foster recently wrote on Instagram. “Now I get to celebrate my birthday there? That’s more than I ever dreamed.”

And yet, no matter how high his star rises, Foster’s heart remains in Louisiana. Sunday night proved that. For one magical evening, a ballpark turned into a cathedral, a song turned into a prayer, and a young man reminded everyone what it means to come home.

Because at the end of the day, John Foster isn’t just a singer. He’s ours.