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FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason Athletics will host its annual First Pitch Dinner, presented by Sandy Spring Bank on Friday, Feb. 2 at the Country Club of Fairfax, featuring Dave Martinez, manager of the Washington Nationals.

Martinez joins the Nationals for what will be his first season as a Major League manager.  The 2018 season will mark his 30th in professional baseball, including spending the last 10 years as a Major League bench coach.

Martinez served as the bench coach for the Chicago Cubs from 2015-17 where he played an integral role in three postseason appearances, two National League Central division titles and the Cubs' 2016 World Series Championship.

Prior to joining the Cubs, Martinez spent seven seasons as the bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays and was the longest tenured bench coach in club history.

A veteran of 16 Major League seasons, Martinez played 1,918 games and finished with 1,599 hits and a .276 batting average while playing for nine clubs during his career.  He broke into the big leagues with the Chicago Cubs in 1986 at the age of 21 and was the 10th-youngest player to appear in Major League Baseball during the season.

"We are honored to have Dave Martinez as our special guest and keynote speaker at the 2018 First Pitch Dinner," Mason baseball head coach Bill Brown said.  "It is exciting that he will be spending the evening of Feb. 2 with us sharing insight about baseball and his incredibly accomplished professional baseball career as well as his thoughts about baseball in Washington as the manager of the Nationals."
 
The Hall of Fame Table for the event can be purchased for $2,000 and includes six tickets, entry to a reception with Dave Martinez, silent auction, dinner, seating with two members of the 2018 Mason baseball team and names listed in the event program.

Table sponsorship is available for $1,500 and includes six tickets, entry to social hour, silent auction, dinner, seating with two members of the 2018 Mason baseball team and names listed in the event program.

General individual tickets can be purchased for $200, Baseball Alumni and Young Alumni (undergraduate degree holders of the last five years) for $150 and the cost for youth 12 and under is $50.  All tickets include entry to the social hour, silent auction and dinner.  The MVP reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by the social hour at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m.

"What a fantastic experience for the players, alumni, friends of Mason Baseball and the entire baseball community to have the opportunity to hear from the man who will lead the Washington Nationals into the 2018 season," Brown said.  "Our thanks to Dave Martinez for agreeing to be part of what will be an incredibly special evening for the Mason Baseball program, our athletic department and George Mason University."

For more information, contact LeeAnn Bushar at lbushar@gmu.edu or 703-993-4147.  Proceeds support the Mason Baseball program.