Wolverines Hold Alumni Weekend
10/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Oct. 3, 2011
• Find More Photos on Baseball's Facebook Page
The University of Michigan baseball program held its annual Alumni Weekend (Sat-Sun., Oct. 1-2) as more than 200 former Wolverines came to Ann Arbor to see former teammates and friends, check out the U-M football team's 58-0 win over Minnesota, and play golf in the annual outing at the U-M Golf Course.
The weekend opened on Saturday (Oct. 1) morning as U-M baseball held its sixth-annual alumni tailgate at the Wilpon Baseball Complex/Ray Fisher Stadium. The alums had breakfast and met the current Wolverine roster. Head coach Rich Maloney gave out awards from the 2011 season from the Big Ten and national organizations. He also handed out team awards from the season. Michael O'Neill (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty) earned both the Ray Fisher Award (Most Valuable Player) and the Bill Freehan Award (Offensive Player of the Year). Brandon Sinnery (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Academy) picked up the Geoff Zahn Award (Most Valuable Pitcher) and Patrick Biondi (Woodhaven, Mich./Divine Child) earned the Ted Sizemore Award (Defensive Player of the Year). Brett Winger (Orlando, Fla./Olympia) won the Betty Simmons Award (Most Improved Player) and Michael Kershner (Oakland, Calif./St. Mary's) won both the Steve Boros Award (Scholar-Athlete) and the Wolverine (Spirit) Award.
"On Saturday we had a brunch and our awards presentation from the previous season, and the attendance was phenomenal," Maloney said. "We had over 200 people come back to celebrate their experience and it was overwhelming. The 1952 national championship team had several of their players show up and it was awesome. We had the chance to introduce them to our crowd, and they were able to share, briefly, from their experience. It was just a time of sharing, unexpectedly. It was unplanned. But once I started to see all these greats from our past come back, I just thought it would be neat if they had the chance to introduce themselves and share from their experience and it was overwhelming. I was kind of speechless. I was taken back and it was a beautiful thing."
The weekend moved to the U-M Golf Course on Sunday morning (Oct. 2) for the 10th annual alumni golf outing. The scramble featured three meals, a raffle, door prizes and individual and team awards.
"Sunday we had a golf outing. We had about 80 golfers, and we also had Dave Brandon join us, and that was a great day," Maloney said. "To hear stories about all the different eras because we were represented across the board, that was really cool. So for our program it was a great win for all of us."
"They are the reason Michigan baseball is what it is today," Maloney concluded. "Their experience was a championship experience with all of the titles they have won, the tournament titles and the College World Series appearances. It's been just a wonderful tradition and once again on Alumni Weekend they showed continued support for the program by coming back. It was just a wonderful weekend.
"What was really neat about our experience was that so many of these gentleman have taken what they learned from Michigan and used it in their careers and have become highly successful at what they do. And that is probably something that at the end of the day has so much meaning to them and their families so that the champion experience they got on the field and in the classroom has boded well for these guys. So that's special."
To check out photos of the alumni golf outing, go to Michigan baseball's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MichiganBaseball.
