Head baseball coach Brian Schmack is pleased to welcome back the Crusader Baseball Bash.

Schmack and the Valparaiso baseball team have announced that former Major League Baseball player and current Fox Sports analyst C.J. Nitkowski (@CJNitkowski) will serve as guest speaker at the 5th Annual Crusader Baseball Bash to be held on Saturday, January 31st inside the Aberdeen Manor Ballroom. 

Nitkowski, an emerging star in the baseball broadcasting business, pitched in 336 games over his ten years in Major League Baseball. After sharing a clubhouse with Schmack while both were in the Texas Rangers organization in 2001, Nitkowski is now a regular on the set of America's Pregame and MLB Whiparound, in addition to writing columns that appear on FoxSports.com. 

Schmack also announced he will recognize Michael Arensdorff (2003-2007). Arensdorff, Valpo's all-time career hits leader, resides in eight different top 10 categories of the school's record book.

The doors will open at 5:00 pm for a social hour with dinner being served at 6:00 pm. In addition to a featured address by Nitkowski, the event will include a dinner, a cash bar, and a silent auction. The Crusader Baseball Bash will wrap up at 8:15 pm following the announcement of the silent auction winners. 

The Aberdeen Manor Ballroom is located at 216 Ballantrae Street in Valparaiso.

The cost for the event is $65 per person, $45 for kids age 13 and under, with a table of ten guests costing $600. For further information, contact Coach Schmack at 219.464.6117.