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Pirates Begin Season with "First Pitch Dinner"
1/30/2017 11:07:00 AM | Baseball
The Seton Hall University baseball team, in conjunction with the Pirates Blue Athletic Fund, held its annual "First Pitch Dinner" on Thursday evening to the delight of the current team, their families and many former Pirates spanning several decades.
The annual season "kick-off" event was held in the University Center's Main Lounge and featured several speakers including current Head Coach Rob Sheppard, Hall of Famer Mike Sheppard, Sr. and alum Tony DeFrancesco.
Attendees included Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Famers George Ramos Curvy, Ed Blankmeyer, John Morris and Pat Pacillo, among many others. Current professional minor league players, Derek Jenkins (Angels), Jose Lopez (Reds) and Conor Krauss (White Sox) also returned to South Orange.
One of the many highlights of the evening was when ABCA Hall of Famer and Head Coach Emeritus Mike Sheppard, Sr. addressed the crowd from his seat in the middle of the room. His comments ranged from humorous anecdotes to genuine appreciation and solicited a standing ovation from the adoring baseball audience.
Tony DeFrancesco, the two-time AAA Manager of the Year, was the evening's keynote speaker and implored the current team to work hard and learn from the alumni in the room. He recounted his story of how he rose from a player at Seton Hall to become the big-league manager of the Houston Astros. DeFrancesco discussed the many highs and lows he's faced in his successful career, and reminded the current Pirates to learn from every experience. Before stepping off the stage, he presented Mike Sheppard with a framed copy of the lineup card from his first game as a Major League Baseball manager stating, "Craig Biggio gave you your first Hall of Famer, and I'm proud to be your first big-league manager."
CLICK HERE for a photo gallery of the event.
Seton Hall opens its 2017 campaign with a four-game series with the University of Michigan, Feb. 17-19 in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
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The annual season "kick-off" event was held in the University Center's Main Lounge and featured several speakers including current Head Coach Rob Sheppard, Hall of Famer Mike Sheppard, Sr. and alum Tony DeFrancesco.
Attendees included Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Famers George Ramos Curvy, Ed Blankmeyer, John Morris and Pat Pacillo, among many others. Current professional minor league players, Derek Jenkins (Angels), Jose Lopez (Reds) and Conor Krauss (White Sox) also returned to South Orange.
One of the many highlights of the evening was when ABCA Hall of Famer and Head Coach Emeritus Mike Sheppard, Sr. addressed the crowd from his seat in the middle of the room. His comments ranged from humorous anecdotes to genuine appreciation and solicited a standing ovation from the adoring baseball audience.
Tony DeFrancesco, the two-time AAA Manager of the Year, was the evening's keynote speaker and implored the current team to work hard and learn from the alumni in the room. He recounted his story of how he rose from a player at Seton Hall to become the big-league manager of the Houston Astros. DeFrancesco discussed the many highs and lows he's faced in his successful career, and reminded the current Pirates to learn from every experience. Before stepping off the stage, he presented Mike Sheppard with a framed copy of the lineup card from his first game as a Major League Baseball manager stating, "Craig Biggio gave you your first Hall of Famer, and I'm proud to be your first big-league manager."
CLICK HERE for a photo gallery of the event.
Seton Hall opens its 2017 campaign with a four-game series with the University of Michigan, Feb. 17-19 in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
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