Clarksville, TN – Major League Baseball All-Stars Rafael Palmeiro and Robin Ventura and four-time NCAA Softball All-American Montana Fouts headline the first combined Austin Peay State University (APSU) Baseball and Softball First Pitch Banquet, which will be held Saturday, February 1st, 2025, in the Winfield Dunn Center.
Palmeiro played 20 seasons (1986-2005) in the MLB for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and Baltimore Orioles after three seasons at Mississippi State. Palmeiro was the first player to win the triple crown in the SEC and held the conference and MSU home run record (67) at the end of his career.
Palmeiro recorded 3,020 hits and 569 home runs in his MLB career, becoming one of 15 players with 500 home runs and one of seven with 3,000 hits and 500 homers. Palmeiro was three-time Gold Glove Award and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner in his professional career.
In three seasons at Oklahoma State, Ventura was an All-American three times and won the 1988 Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy. Ventura holds the Oklahoma State records for hits (329), batting average (.428), and set an NCAA Division I record with a 58-game hitting streak.
Ventura went on to play 16 seasons in the MLB for the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Ventura was a six-time Gold Glove Award winner while totaling 1,885 hits, 294 home runs, and a .267 batting average in his MLB career.
The 2021 NFCA National Pitcher of the Year and the 2023 Softball America Pitcher of the Year, Fouts played five seasons at Alabama. Fouts was the 2019 SEC Freshman of the Year, 2021 SEC Pitcher of the Year, and was an SEC All-Tournament Team and Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team selection in 2021.
In five seasons, Fouts threw 852.2 innings in 160 appearances for the Crimson Tide, tallying a 1.66 ERA, 1,1181 strike outs, 100 wins, and 89 complete games. Fouts also represented the United States at the 2022 World Games and the 2023 Pan American Games, winning gold at both events.
In addition to appearances by Palmeiro, Ventura, and Fouts, head coaches Roland Fanning and Kassie Stanfill will provide a preseason look at the 2025 Governors baseball and softball teams.
The event begins at 6:00pm and includes the opportunity to meet the 2025 Governors baseball and softball teams and coaching staffs. Individual event tickets, which include a plated dinner, are available for $50.00, with full tables available for $500.00. Registration to attend the First Pitch Banquet is available via www.alumni.apsu.edu/firstpitch25.
Doors open at 5:00pm with live music preceding the featured speakers. Several silent auction items will again be available, along with Austin Peay State University jerseys available for an additional donation.
APSU Baseball and softball season ticket information and schedules will become available in the coming weeks.
