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The 2019 Step Up to the Plate event was held at the John Paul Jones Arena on Sat- urday, January 26. Each year the sold out crowd of over 1,000 donors and fans con- tinues to raise impressive funds for the base- ball program through auction revenue and ticket sales. Channing Poole, the voice of the Vir- ginia Baseball team, emceed the evening. The program included Head Coach Brian O'Connor who provided baseball program updates, introduced the current 2019 team and staff, distributed annual Iron Cavalier awards and shared his goals for the sea- son. Student-athlete Chesdin Harrington (RHP fourth year) addressed the audience on behalf of the team and thanked the donors and fans for their loyal support which gives the team such a rewarding experience. Dinner was followed by the induction ceremony of the second Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame class. The 2019 group in- cluded seven members from the Virginia Baseball family: RHP — Tim Burcham (1983-85) 2B/OF — Phil Gosselin (2008-10) OF — Brandon Guyer (2005-07) C/1B — John Hicks (2009-11) LHP — Casey Lambert (2004-07) 3B — Steven Proscia (2009-11) 2B — Mel Roach (1952-53) Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz, Step Up's keynote speaker, provided inspiring remarks and welcomed an entertaining audi- ence Q&A. Guests enjoyed learning about his journey and the baseball team was moti- vated by their time with him. The evening concluded with the an- nouncement of raffle and silent auction win- ners. This year's inventory was filled with exclusive experiences and sports memora- bilia. Exciting raffle items included cash winnings and various MLB and UVA sports experiences. Leading up to the event, guests who could not attend were able to partici- pate in the auction through the online bid- ding opportunity. Thank you to everyone who supports the event and Virginia Baseball. "Without the support of the VAF, we would not be able to use the amazing resources to train, practice and develop our skills. Thanks to your dona - tions, we are blessed to be get - ting a new stadium, and I can't thank you enough. Go Hoos!" — Molly Keshin, 2nd year Staff Update Emily Wayland joined the Virginia Athletics Founda- tion in February of 2019. As Assistant Director of Pri- ority Seating and Parking, she is part of the Annual Fund team with a primary focus on member benefits. A native of Raleigh, N.C., Emily earned her B.A. in Mathematics with a second major in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2017 and will earn her M.A. in Sport Administration from UNC in May of 2019. Before coming to the VAF, Emily was a graduate assistant with The Rams Club where she assisted with ticketing and donor engagement. event recap 17th Annual Step Up to the Plate APRIL 2019 27 Mark Your Calendar! SPRING EVENTS WITH COACH MENDENHALL: Richmond – Monday, April 15 Roanoke – Wednesday, April 24 Lynchburg – Wednesday, May 8 SPRING EVENTS WITH COACH BENNETT: Washington, D.C. – Monday, May 20 New York City – Tuesday, May 21 Virginia Beach – Thursday, May 23 FALL EVENTS: TBA Above: An attendee exploring the silent auction items. Below: Players signing team posters. Above: The 2019 Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame class with Coach Brian O'Connor (far right). Right: Step Up's keynote speaker and Hall of Fame pitcher, John Smoltz.