Spring means baseball, and the Stetson baseball program will get busy with preparations for the 2020 season very soon. Before the season starts, however, there are three annual events to help get fans ready for the start of the new season.

First is the annual Baseball Golf Event on Friday, Jan. 24, at Alaqua Country Club. Online registration for both players and sponsors is available HERE. Registration opens the day of the event at 11 a.m. and there will be a shotgun start at noon with lunch provided at the start and dinner after play.

The next day, on Saturday, Jan. 25, the Hatters will hold their annual Alumni Game at Melching Field. Batting practice will start at 9 a.m. with the game scheduled for 11 a.m. If enough Alumni players signup, then it will be strictly alumni players. If there are not enough alumni players for two teams, then the alumni will face the current Stetson team.

“We are extremely proud of our Stetson Baseball alums and the championship tradition they set for us to emulate,” Hatters coach Steve Trimper said. “It is vital for the success of the current team members for them to interact with our alumni as they navigate college and transition into life after college baseball. 

“Not only has this event produced some great stories of ‘600-foot home runs,’ but it gives the players an opportunity to be mentored by Stetson greats from the past. This is one of the things that makes the Stetson Baseball Program special, and one of the top programs in the country. Our alumni are amazing, and we look forward each year to having them back on the field to connect with our current players.”

For more information on the annual golf event or playing in the Alumni game, contact Mark Michaud at [email protected] or call 386-822-8724.

The final event before the start of the 2020 season is the annual Dick Westervelt First Pitch Banquet. This year that event is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 7, at the Wayne Sanborn Center at 815 S. Alabama Avenue in DeLand.

The Dick Westervelt First Pitch Banquet gives fans a chance to meet and interact with the 2020 squad, hear from the Stetson coaches on the upcoming season, and see the top players from the 2019 season recognized for their performances on the field and in the classroom.

The evening will begin with a happy hour starting at 6:30 p.m. with dinner and the main program to follow. The cost to attend the event is $20 per person and there will be a cash bar available.

To get tickets for the Dick Westervelt First Pitch Banquet, contact Stacy Turner at [email protected] or by calling 386-822-8100.

The 2020 Stetson Baseball season is scheduled to start on Friday night, Feb. 14, against Manhattan College. The Hatters are scheduled to play 37 games at Melching Field, including a three-game series against TCU (April 17-19) and single games against Florida (Feb. 26), Ohio State (March 6), South Florida (April 7), FIU (April 14), UCF (April 28) and Florida State (May 6).

For information on season tickets, contact the Stetson Athletics Ticket Office at 386-738-HATS (4287) or complete the season ticket information form here.

-Ricky Hazel
GoHatters.com