Cal State Fullerton baseball will put on their most lucrative fundraising event of the year Friday. The program will feature Academy Award-winner Kevin Costner as the head
lining speaker.
(Courtesy of Fullerton Athletics)
The Cal State Fullerton baseball program will host Academy Award-winning actor, director and CSUF alumnus Kevin Costner as keynote speaker for the 10th annual Dinner with the Titans, the biggest fundraising event of the year for Titan baseball.
The event will take place Friday, Jan. 29 at the Irvine Marriott in Irvine. Baseball festivities will then continue into Saturday when Titans baseball alumni take on the current team at Goodwin Field.
Costner, a longtime Titans baseball fan, graduated from CSUF in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in business. Costner also starred in the classic baseball movie “Field of Dreams,” and has been a supporter of keeping the NCAA College World Series in Omaha.
He received the “Best Director” and “Best Picture” awards at the 1991 Academy Awards for his film “Dances with Wolves.” He most recently appeared in “MacFarland, USA.”
Individual tickets for Dinner with the Titans cost $150, with CSUF baseball season ticket holders receiving a $50 discount. Several sponsorship options are available as well, with perks including a VIP reception with Costner.
Last year, the event set records for attendance and fundraising, raising more than $75,000 for the program. More than 600 tickets for the event have already been sold, according to Fullerton Athletics.
The event will include a cocktail hour with live music, a silent auction and plenty of opportunities to mingle with alumni and the current team. Funds raised at the event will go directly to the team’s program.
Several former players made an appearance for the 2015 event, including current major leaguers Justin Turner, Kurt Suzuki and Christian Colon. Colon helped the Kansas City Royals to a World Series title in 2015. Former Titans coach Augie Garrido was last year’s headlining speaker.
Distinguished Titan baseball alumni will also return to Goodwin field to play against the current squad on Saturday at the alumni game. In last year’s game, Turner, current Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman, made an appearance with the alumni team.
Baseball season officially begins Feb. 19, when the Titans are slated to face Stanford on the road. The Titans finished 39-25 in 2015, capping off the season with a trip to the NCAA College World Series. Going into the 2016 season, NCAA ranks the team at 23rd in the country.
Cocktail hour for Dinner with the Titans begins at 6 p.m. and the dinner and program begin at 7:30 p.m. The alumni game will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30.