DMACC Bears News
posted 10/19/2010
DMACC to Close Fall Season with Alumni Game
The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) baseball team will close out the fall season Oct. 23 with its first alumni game.
The game will begin at 2 p.m. at the DMACC diamond and will feature the current DMACC team against a squad of former players.
“We have so many guys connected to the program and who have an active interest (in the program),” DMACC baseball coach Dan Fitzgerald said. “We’ve had constant communication with each other since they left and basically came up with a time we could get all the guys back on campus to see the new field and reminisce over their time here.”
Fitzgerald said he established a date and time for the game and that former players “have really run with it.” He said that 30 to 35 former players are expected to participate in the 9-inning game, including some who played for DMACC as far back as 20 years ago.
“It’s been a really neat thing,” Fitzgerald said. “It will be a tough game. It’s not a bunch of old, washed-up guys that are coming out to play. It’s guys in the peak of their careers that are coming back.”
Fitzgerald said the game also would serve as a bridge between the program of long-time DMACC baseball coach John Smith and the current coaching staff.
Smith started the DMACC baseball program in 1974 and served as the head coach until 2006, when he retired.
“It’s going to be a neat experience to bridge coach Smith’s generation of players and our generation and kind of connect them as well,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s been such tremendous success in DMACC baseball going way back. (Coach Smith) had more than 90 players sign to play professional baseball. That’s amazing.”
Fitzgerald said he hopes the alumni weekend will become a part of DMACC’s fall schedule in future seasons.
“We’ll have a great time,” Fitzgerald said. “It will be awesome.”
Des Moines Area Community College is committed to educating, training and encouraging lifelong success for students of all ages. As Iowa’s largest two-year college, DMACC annually serves more than 65,000 credit and non-credit students on six campuses located in Ankeny, Boone, Carroll, Des Moines, Newton and West Des Moines. As a result of continued record growth, DMACC has earned the rank of 17th fastest growing 2-year public college in the United States. For more information, visit www.dmacc.edu.