Wright State Baseball holds First Pitch Banquet

Dave Stewart, former ace pitcher for the Oakland Athletics when the team won the 1989 World Series, was the keynote speaker at the event.

((Contributed by Wright State Athletics))

The Wright State baseball team held its ninth annual First Pitch Banquet Tuesday night at Wright State University’s Nutter Center with former major league pitcher Dave Stewart as the keynote speaker.

Stewart was the ace of the Oakland Athletics’s pitching staff during the team’s late ’80s–early ’90s run that netted the team three American League pennants and the 1989 World Series championship.

A popular part of the annual First pitch Banquet is the silent auction of sports memorabilia that raises money for the Wright State baseball program.

After starting the evening with a silent auction of baseball memorabilia, master of ceremonies Scott Leo introduced the 2013 Wright State squad.  Following a few remarks by head coach Rob Cooper, Stewart delivered the keynote speech.

“The entire event was great night for our program,” said Cooper.  “It was great seeing many former players there along with many others who have played major roles in making our program what it is today.  It was also amazing to have Dave Stewart share his stories and message with the Wright State community.  Overall, it was a very special evening for Raider Baseball and Wright State University.”

The Raiders open the 2013 campaign with four games February 15-17, taking on Temple, La Salle, Albany and Villanova at the USA Baseball Complex Classic in Cary, North Carolina.  The home opener for WSU is set for Tuesday, February 26, at 5:00 against Xavier.