Free Exhibition Game to Benefit Colleges Athletic Programs
A community college team squaring off against a minor league team? This could be exciting!
With 15 freshmen, two returning sophomores and a transfer student, the young College of Southern Maryland Hawks will take the field against the minor league Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in a fundraising exhibition game at Regency Furniture Stadium April 21.
Raw talent, on-field chemistry and their off-season work ethic will make this young CSM team exciting to watch, according to Head Coach Joe Blandford, a graduate of CSM who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, and who is now in his ninth season with the Hawks.
This will be an exciting time to play with minor league players on the same field. Most of the Blue Crabs played at four-year colleges before playing in the majors and minors. Our guys have been playing baseball their whole lives and dream of one day having the opportunity to be where these minor league players are. So, this is an exciting time for them, Blandford said. We dont expect to win the game, but we do want to showcase the talent coming out of junior colleges, he added, alluding to the game being like watching David and Goliath go at it on the field, which could make for a great evening of baseball.
Hawks fans will not only get to cheer on their team, but will get a preview of the Blue Crabs line-up before their home opener April 23.
We have a great relationship with the Blue Crabs, said Blandford, The idea for the match-up came up in conversation, and we took them up on it. The Blue Crabs are very supportive of our program.
Playing for the Hawks are freshmen Thomas Thayer and J.B. Sapienza from the 2008 State Championship La Plata High School team, Marc Collazo and Ryan Neeley from Lackey High School, Stokey Jackson from Thomas Stone, Shane Nealis and James Newsome from Chopticon, Anthony Butler from Wicomico, John McIntosh from Huntingtown High School, Ryan Harris from McNamara, Adam Webster, Josh Jones and Mike Edwards from Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va., and Kyle Bryant from Ocean Springs, Miss. Returning sophomores are Michael August (returning as a red shirt freshman due to a shoulder injury last season), Dennis Morgan and Joe Saverino. Transfer student Nick Sydnor of Dunkirk comes to CSM from Stevenson University.
The Hawks will be playing all their conference games at the Blue Crabs Regency Stadium this season.
The CSM Hawks vs. Blue Crabs game is Tuesday, April 21 at 7:05 p.m. at the Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf. For directions, visit http://www.somdbluecrabs.com/index.cfm. In lieu of admission, CSM will be accepting donations at the gate, with proceeds to benefit the colleges athletic programs.
For information on CSMs athletic programs visit http://www.csmd.edu/Athletics/.
Calendar
Blue Crabs vs. CSM Hawks. 7:05 p.m., Tuesday, April 21, 2009. Regency Furniture Stadium, 11765 St. Linus Drive, Waldorf. The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs will play the College of Southern Maryland Hawks in a fundraising exhibition baseball game pitting freshmen and sophomore ballplayers against the minor league team. In lieu of admission, CSM will be accepting donations at the gate with proceeds to benefit the colleges athletic programs. For information on Regency Furniture Stadium, contact 301-638-9788 or visit http://www.somdbluecrabs.com/index.cfm. For information on CSMs athletic programs visit http://www.csmd.edu/Athletics/ or call 301-539-4761.