(PRESS RELEASE) -- Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) superstar “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler of Granite City, Ill., will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Cardinals-Reds game Thursday night (June 4) at Busch Stadium.

“I am a big baseball fan and I love the Cards,’’ said Lawler.

When he takes the mound, Lawler, a converted southpaw, will throw right-handed.

Lawler will be delivering hard pitches with both hands – and legs – this Saturday night when he faces Jake Shields in the main event of STRIKEFORCE’s eagerly anticipated MMA fight card at the Scottrade Center. Both Lawler (middleweight) and Shields (welterweight) are ranked among the very best in the world in their respective weight classes. They will clash at a catch weight of 182 pounds.

The highly anticipated Lawler-Shields matchup will highlight an 11-fight card in the biggest, most significant MMA event in the history of the Gateway City.

Tickets, starting at $30, are on sale at the Scottrade Center box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800-745-3000), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and Strikeforce’s official website (www.strikeforce.com). Doors at the Scottrade Center will open at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 6:45 p.m.

A six-bout undercard featuring a top match between Rafael Feijao and Mike Kyle will also include local stars Jesse Finney and Tyron Woodley. It will precede a five-fight telecast on SHOWTIME (10 p.m., ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

In televised fights on SHOWTIME (besides Lawler-Shields): trash-talking, knockout artist Phil “The New York Bad Ass’’ Baroni will face crowd-pleasing, aggressive-minded Joe “ Diesel” Riggs in a welterweight scrap, Andrei “Pitbull’’ Arlovski, a former UFC champion, will take on undefeated, hard-hitting Brett “The Grim’’ Rogers in an Affliction sponsored heavyweight bout, exciting, power-punching Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith will meet talented, Cesar Gracie black belt Nick Diaz and two-time NCAA Division I national wrestling champion Kevin Randleman will thrown down with Mike Whitehead in a light heavyweight matchup.