Agriculture alumnus and former baseball student-athlete Danny Andrews has pledged a record-setting $400,000 to the baseball stadium project. It is the largest single gift to Bronco Athletics, topping the previous mark ¿ also delivered by Andrews ¿ of $105,000 in 2008.
“Danny’s dedicated service to the university and generous gift to launch the new baseball stadium project is truly inspirational,” Director of Athletics Brian Swanson says. “His vision and desire to revitalize the baseball stadium will provide generations of Broncos an unprecedented student-athlete experience. Everyone at Cal Poly Pomona is greatly appreciative of this gift from Danny Andrews.”
Just as his baseball coach, the legendary John Scolinos, succeeded in bringing about the best in student-athletes, Andrews envisions a new state-of-the-art baseball facility that will bring out the best in campus pride and the Pomona community.
Scolinos taught his players to value community, teamwork and dedication — themes that continue to resonate with former players. Andrews says he clearly remembers one of Scolinos’ reminders: ¿Not all of you will be major league ballplayers, but all of you can be major league people.¿
¿When Coach Scolinos passed away in 2009, a lot of the former players started to think of ways we could honor him while also improving the community of Pomona and the university,¿ Andrews says. ¿This project is a perfect opportunity, and I hope my donation gets the ball rolling and pushes others to give.¿
The baseball stadium project, estimated at $7 million, will bring a wide range of benefits to the university, community and athletics department. With the plan unfolding in phases, the completed project will include permanent seating, lighting, a clubhouse, game-quality fan facilities and other modern amenities.
“From a recruiting standpoint, this new stadium will help us draw top-notch talent locally, regionally and across the state of California,” Broncos’ head coach Randy Betten says. “The momentum of our 2011 success combined with the future of this facility clearly shows we’re a program on the rise. We can’t thank Danny enough for his generosity to the university and his dedication to the Pomona community.”
Although the Scolinos Field title will always remain, other naming opportunities will be available in the new facility. Andrews’ record-setting pledge marks the official start of the baseball stadium campaign.
¿A new Scolinos Field has been the top priority for the intercollegiate athletics department for many years,” says Brandon Raphael, the director of development for athletics. “Because of Danny’s generosity and leadership, his transformational gift helps make this project a reality. Baseball alumni and supporters of our athletics program should be excited that this time has finally come.”
The forward-thinking Scolinos wanted to recruit good citizens as much as he wanted to recruit skilled hitters and pitchers. Andrews, also with a mind geared toward future generations, wants the new lighted baseball facility to be a field of dreams not only for Cal Poly Pomona players but also for local youth programs.
Part of his pledge is focused on the construction of the new lights.
¿Having lights at Scolinos Field will bring so many benefits,¿ Andrews says. ¿It’ll turn it into a multi-use facility to bring youth teams and other outside groups to the university. Night games for the Broncos will also encourage students to stay on campus after classes finish. An attractive facility also provides our coaches an immediate impact in recruiting as well.¿
Raised in Los Angeles, Andrews graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business management. Drafted into Major League Baseball, he spent two seasons in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. From there, Andrews worked as a sales manager for his father’s produce company. Now, he owns his own business, Dan Andrews Farms, which he started in 2007.
For more information about the baseball stadium campaign, contact the athletic department’s development office at (909) 869-2825 or email bjraphael@cpp.edu.
Cal Poly Pomona has embarked on a $150 million comprehensive fundraising campaign to ensure that a quality college education is within reach for future generations of students. The campaign will strengthen the university’s ability to provide a hands-on education, to prepare students for the changing demands of the workplace, and to increase research and scholarship opportunities. The fundraising campaign relies on the support of the entire campus community — from alumni to faculty and staff to friends of the university. For more information, visit http://campaign.cpp.edu/.