By: Brandon Taylor, Assistant Sports Information Director
LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola Baseball and the Eagles Athletic Association are pleased to announce that professional baseball player and close friend of Head Coach
Jeff Calhoon Wynton Bernard will keynote Biola Baseball's Alumni Game and First Pitch Dinner on Saturday January 18.
Bernard will speak at the catered dinner held in Andrews Banquet Room on Biola's campus beginning at 6 p.m. The dinner will be preceded by an alumni game at Eagles Diamond beginning at 10 a.m. on January 18.
More information on the day's schedule and the link to register your seats at dinner can be found at the First Dinner landing page. Any questions at the event can be directed to Quinn Mutch in Biola's Advancement Office: quinn.mutch@biola.edu.
This is the sixth year that the Biola Baseball Program has hosted this special preseason dinner to bond with friends and family of the program and hear special remarks from Christians in the baseball community. All proceeds for the event go towards ongoing Eagles Athletic Association projects that directly benefit the student-athlete experience on the Biola Baseball team, including scholarships, equipment and facility upgrades.
A 35th-round pick of the San Diego Padres in 2012, Bernard has been on the 40-man roster for three major league ballclubs and played for Sugarland Skeeters and Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican Winter League in 2019 after starting the year with the Chicago Cubs AAA team. Coach Calhoon's former roommate at Niagra University collected 115 hits in 123 professional games last year and drove in 54 runs while stealing 44 bases.
Bernard also earned First Team All-MAAC honors in his senior year at Niagara after leading the conference in stolen bases. He is still the program record holder for most triples in a single season (five) and is second all-time for stolen bases in one year (32).
"Having Wynton as our First Pitch Dinner speaker is special for me in multiple ways. He is one of my closest friends and I would not be the coach I am today without many great conversations about baseball and culture," said Coach Calhoon. "His story is something our players can relate to and see just how much of a hand God has in our lives. It will be a great night and can't wait to hear him speak!"
The cost is $35 for individual tickets and $125 for a set of four. The link to register and pay can be found at the First Dinner landing page and at the top of this release. Online registration closes Monday January 13, 2019 at 11:59 PM (PST) so sign up today!
