Alumni Weekend Provides A Blast For Those From The Past
September 29, 2014 | Baseball
SEATTLE - This last weekend Husky Baseball players from the past and present gathered for three days of reminiscing, renewing old friendships, making new connections and even reliving their glory days.
The three-day Husky Baseball alumni weekend was once again a huge success. Over the weekend, Husky Baseball not only celebrated its strong heritage, but also exposed the current crop of players to the large network of alums eager to support their team's present and future achievements.
On Friday, alums, donors and current Huskies gathered at Redmond Ridge for golf and a post-round dinner. Over 100 people -- including 40 former players plus numerous current players -- staved off the threatening rain clouds and golfed. The foursome that was led by Ryan Soules took home bragging rights and emerged victorious in the best-ball tournament.
The next day, many alumni from yesteryear gathered at beautiful, brand-new Husky Ballpark to tailgate prior to the football team's game against Stanford. For several hours, former players and their families took over Husky Ballpark. Many of those in attendance, it was their first exposure to the team's new digs. The alums wandered the field, concourse and upper levels, exploring the stadium they all helped build through their contributions on and off the field.
They were all treated to an exciting game a short walk away at Husky Stadium. Unfortunately, the good guys came up short against the Cardinal.
The weekend culminated in an Alumni game on Sunday. It was the first time for all participants to play in the new ballpark and the excitement on some of the alum's faces as they took the field was priceless. After shaking off some rust with BP, the game was on.
The alums were divided into gold and purple teams, and miraculously, more of the youngsters were on the gold squad. Youth prevailed over age in the five-inning affair as gold walked off the field with the 8-1 victory. Fueled by MVP and current Baseball Director of Ops Taylor Johnson, who was 3 for 3 at the plate with 2 RBI, the gold squad scored three times in the first and five times in the second and never looked back. Current Big W Club Director John Otness also had two hits for gold, as did former catcher Aaron Hathaway, a fourth-round draft selection by the New York Mets.
Ultimately, the game was not about who won and who lost. It was about bringing back together old friends with a common thread: to celebrate Husky Baseball.
