Alumni Association, Sun Devil Club to celebrate Sun Devil Baseball with 2013 event
When Kole Calhoun debuted with the Los Angeles Angels on May 22, 2012, he became the 100th Sun Devil to play in Major League Baseball. Since baseball became a varsity sport at ASU in 1959, only two other schools – USC and Texas – have produced as many major leaguers. The Arizona State University Alumni Association, in partnership with the Sun Devil Club, Sun Devil Baseball, APS and azcentral sports, is celebrating the university’s tradition of baseball excellence with a full day of events on Feb. 9, 2013.
The day, timed to also provide a preview of the current team’s season, will begin with the annual alumni baseball game at noon at the Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark, 201 S. Packard Drive, Tempe. Gates open at 11 a.m. for this free event. All ASU alumni and their family members are invited to enjoy watching Sun Devil baseball greats face off against each other.
At 7 p.m., the association will host a dinner event, “Sun Devil Baseball Legacy: Celebrating ASU’s 100+ Major Leaguers,” at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel, 60 E. Fifth St., Tempe. A reception and silent auction will proceed the dinner. The event will honor all Sun Devils who have played or currently are playing professional baseball, including athletes such as Reggie Jackson, Barry Bonds, Jeff Larish, Paul Lo Duca, Brett Wallace, Dustin Pedroia, Willie Bloomquist and Jason Kipnis.
Christine K. Wilkinson, president of the ASU Alumni Association, said the organization was proud to sponsor the new event.
“ASU has a storied baseball program – we are one of the most highly scouted teams in the nation,” she said. “We wanted to inaugurate a new tradition that embraces that past and honors the team’s present and future achievements.”
Tickets to the dinner event are $125 each. ASU Alumni Association members, Sun Devil Club members, and ASU Baseball season ticket holders may all purchase tickets for $100 each.
For more information on the event or to register, call 480-965-0093 or visit http://alumni.asu.edu/baseball.