BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Major League Baseball National League 'Rookie of the Year' and Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger is set to be the featured guest at the fifth annual CSUB Baseball Hot Stove Dinner on Saturday, Jan. 20. Joining Bellinger at the 2018 Hot Stove Dinner will be special guests and MLB players Travis d'Arnaud of the New York Mets and Aaron Hicks of the New York Yankees.
The marquee baseball event of the year is presented by Motor City Buick GMC and the Don C. and Diane S. Lake Family. The evening includes an introduction to the 2018 CSUB baseball student-athletes and coaches, dinner catered by Luigi's, a Q&A with Bellinger, d'Arnaud, and Hicks, and an auction for items such as vacation getaways, autographed sports memorabilia, gourmet meals, and much more.
"We are super grateful to have an all-star lineup show up in Bakersfield for our Hot Stove Dinner," said Jeremy Beard, Head Coach of the CSU Bakersfield baseball team. "We have three of the most promising players in the big leagues right now helping our cause. We look forward to an exciting event that supports our vision to take our program to another level. We are being very aggressive with facility improvements and hosting this event is a big step in the right direction."
Bellinger, a native of Scottsdale, Ariz., earned NL 'Rookie of the Year' honors with a unanimous vote in November and became the 18th Dodger to take home the award. The 21-year-old star reset the NL rookie record with 39 home runs and was runner-up in the category among all National League players. His big bat and solid defensive play helped a strong Los Angeles Dodgers club reach Game 7 of the World Series in 2017.
Finishing his fourth full year in the Mets organization, d'Arnaud hit 16 home runs and drove in 52 RBI this past season. The 6-foot-2 catcher is originally from Lakewood, Calif. Hicks posted almost identical numbers in his fourth full year in the majors. The native of San Pedro, Calif. posted 15 home runs and 52 RBI as an outfielder with the Yankees in 2017.
Individual tickets for the event are $125 and seating is limited to just 500 with the half of the tickets already gone. CSUB's Hot Stove Dinners have sold out in the past and this year's event is expected to be a hot ticket as well.
Table sponsorships, which include 10 tickets as well as sponsor recognition, are available for $1000. Diamond Level sponsorships of two tables of 10, which also include public address recognition, custom table signs, program listing, and a special gift from CSUB baseball, are available for $2500.
Home Run level sponsorships of $5000 include all of the above and more, including an exclusive 'meet and greet' with the three MLB guests. There is also one Co-Presenting Sponsorship available for $7500.
The 2018 CSUB Baseball Hot Stove Dinner is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 20, at 5:30 p.m. The event will be held in Building 1 at the Kern County Fairgrounds. All proceeds benefit CSUB Roadrunners baseball. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Sukhvir Kaur at (661) 654-2893.
~GoRunners.com~
