Jose Bautista Headlines 2016 Leadoff Dinner presented by Republic Bank
November 17, 2015 | Baseball
Annual event scheduled for Friday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m., ET at Louisville Marriott Downtown
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Six-time Major League Baseball All-Star outfielder Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays will be the featured guest at the 2016 Louisville Baseball Leadoff Dinner presented by Republic Bank on Friday, Jan. 29 at the Louisville Marriott Downtown.
The annual dinner, which is the primary fund-raising event for the Louisville baseball program, is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., ET in the Grand Ballroom at the Louisville Marriott Downtown. Tickets for the Leadoff Dinner are $60 each and can be purchased online here. Tables of 10 for the event are also available for $600. The deadline to register is Jan. 22, 2015, while more information can be obtained by contacting Ronee Baxter at (502) 852-2015 or at ronee@gocards.com.
Since making his MLB debut in 2004, Bautista has emerged as one of the best players in the game earning six straight All-Star selections, including four consecutive starts in the Midsummer Classic from 2011-14 and twice receiving the highest number of All-Star Game votes (2011, 2014). Bautista has twice led MLB in home runs connecting for 54 in 2010 and 43 in 2011 while also earning the Hank Aaron Award in each of those seasons as the top hitter in the American League. Bautista is also a three-time Sliver Slugger Award winner (2010, 2011, 2014), given annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League as determined by MLB coaches and managers.
During the 2015 season, Bautista hit 40 home runs with 114 RBI and 110 walks in 153 starts while leading the Blue Jays to their first postseason appearance since 1993. In the decisive fifth game of Toronto's 2015 American League Division Series triumph over the Texas Rangers, Bautista connected for a game-winning three-run homer in the seventh inning of the Blue Jays' 6-3 victory at Rogers Centre. Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Bautista played two seasons at Chipola College in Marianna, Florida before being selected in the 20th round of the 2000 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Since its debut in 1996, the Louisville Baseball Leadoff Dinner helps launch the baseball season by bringing some of the biggest names in the game to the Derby City. Last year's event was headlined by UofL baseball alumni Chris Dominguez, Adam Duvall and Justin Marks, while other previous featured guests have included Josh Hamilton, Andy Pettitte, Joe Girardi, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Alex Rodriguez, Tino Martinez, Scott Rolen, Tommy Lasorda, Chris Coghlan, Jeff Francoeur, Sean Green, Nick Swisher, Adam Wainwright, Chris Burke, Trystan Magnuson, Zack Cozart, B.J. Rosenberg and Rick Sweet.
The 2016 Louisville Baseball Leadoff Dinner presented by Republic Bank will be the 10th under the guidance of head coach Dan McDonnell, who has placed the Cardinals among the nation's elite with three College World Series berths, five NCAA Super Regional appearances, eight NCAA Regional bids, six regular season conference championships, two conference tournament titles, 22 All-Americans and 406 wins overall in his first nine seasons.
ABOUT LOUISVILLE BASEBALL IN 2016
The Cardinals return an experienced, talented and deep roster of players from last year's record-setting club, which won the ACC Atlantic Division title with the most league wins in conference history (25-5 record) and advanced to an NCAA Super Regional for the third straight season. Louisville returns more than 75 percent of its pitching starts from 2015, anchored by the 1-2 All-American punch of senior righty Kyle Funkhouser and sophomore lefty Brendan McKay. The pitching staff also returns 83 percent of its relief innings, including All-American junior closer Zack Burdi, talented junior lefty Drew Harrington and Freshman All-Americans Lincoln Henzman and Sean Leland.
Offensively, the Cardinals return seven players who started 30 or more games last season, including the top three hitters in junior outfielder and All-American Corey Ray, junior infielder Nick Solak and McKay, the reigning John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year. Collectively, Louisville returns 78 percent of its runs driven in, 73 percent of its extra-base hits, 72 percent of its total hits and 70 percent of its runs scored from the 2015 team.
FOLLOWING THE CARDINALS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
The annual dinner, which is the primary fund-raising event for the Louisville baseball program, is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., ET in the Grand Ballroom at the Louisville Marriott Downtown. Tickets for the Leadoff Dinner are $60 each and can be purchased online here. Tables of 10 for the event are also available for $600. The deadline to register is Jan. 22, 2015, while more information can be obtained by contacting Ronee Baxter at (502) 852-2015 or at ronee@gocards.com.
Since making his MLB debut in 2004, Bautista has emerged as one of the best players in the game earning six straight All-Star selections, including four consecutive starts in the Midsummer Classic from 2011-14 and twice receiving the highest number of All-Star Game votes (2011, 2014). Bautista has twice led MLB in home runs connecting for 54 in 2010 and 43 in 2011 while also earning the Hank Aaron Award in each of those seasons as the top hitter in the American League. Bautista is also a three-time Sliver Slugger Award winner (2010, 2011, 2014), given annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League as determined by MLB coaches and managers.
During the 2015 season, Bautista hit 40 home runs with 114 RBI and 110 walks in 153 starts while leading the Blue Jays to their first postseason appearance since 1993. In the decisive fifth game of Toronto's 2015 American League Division Series triumph over the Texas Rangers, Bautista connected for a game-winning three-run homer in the seventh inning of the Blue Jays' 6-3 victory at Rogers Centre. Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Bautista played two seasons at Chipola College in Marianna, Florida before being selected in the 20th round of the 2000 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Since its debut in 1996, the Louisville Baseball Leadoff Dinner helps launch the baseball season by bringing some of the biggest names in the game to the Derby City. Last year's event was headlined by UofL baseball alumni Chris Dominguez, Adam Duvall and Justin Marks, while other previous featured guests have included Josh Hamilton, Andy Pettitte, Joe Girardi, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Alex Rodriguez, Tino Martinez, Scott Rolen, Tommy Lasorda, Chris Coghlan, Jeff Francoeur, Sean Green, Nick Swisher, Adam Wainwright, Chris Burke, Trystan Magnuson, Zack Cozart, B.J. Rosenberg and Rick Sweet.
The 2016 Louisville Baseball Leadoff Dinner presented by Republic Bank will be the 10th under the guidance of head coach Dan McDonnell, who has placed the Cardinals among the nation's elite with three College World Series berths, five NCAA Super Regional appearances, eight NCAA Regional bids, six regular season conference championships, two conference tournament titles, 22 All-Americans and 406 wins overall in his first nine seasons.
ABOUT LOUISVILLE BASEBALL IN 2016
The Cardinals return an experienced, talented and deep roster of players from last year's record-setting club, which won the ACC Atlantic Division title with the most league wins in conference history (25-5 record) and advanced to an NCAA Super Regional for the third straight season. Louisville returns more than 75 percent of its pitching starts from 2015, anchored by the 1-2 All-American punch of senior righty Kyle Funkhouser and sophomore lefty Brendan McKay. The pitching staff also returns 83 percent of its relief innings, including All-American junior closer Zack Burdi, talented junior lefty Drew Harrington and Freshman All-Americans Lincoln Henzman and Sean Leland.
Offensively, the Cardinals return seven players who started 30 or more games last season, including the top three hitters in junior outfielder and All-American Corey Ray, junior infielder Nick Solak and McKay, the reigning John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year. Collectively, Louisville returns 78 percent of its runs driven in, 73 percent of its extra-base hits, 72 percent of its total hits and 70 percent of its runs scored from the 2015 team.
FOLLOWING THE CARDINALS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
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