On Friday, February 7th, 2025, the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center was packed out to what many in attendance described to be an exceptional evening from start to finish.
Presented for the first time by the Eagle Nation Collective, this 'Evening with the All-Stars' fundraising banquet aims to benefit the Georgia Southern Baseball program as they look to continue building a solid foundation for the program's future.
The Eagel Nation Collective prioritized this event, pulling out all of the stops to give everyone in attendance a memorable experience that will not only help benefit the University's baseball program but also leave those in attendance with memories that will last a lifetime.
“So everybody that's coming here tonight is helping us basically retain the student-athletes that we do have. Because, you know, in the college athletics world, a lot of schools have a lot of money, and they're able to pay their players a lot of money, so we've got to be able to keep up with those to be able to retain our athletes and perform the best we can on the field,” said Executive Director Kennedy Finch.
The event started off with the crowd swiftly maneuvering their way into the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center as they walked with anticipation to enjoy every aspect of this event. The event offered various sections where people in attendance could be served their very own cocktail or beverages of choice.
At the entrance, everyone was granted the opportunity to look over the various auction items from the likes of a signed Mike Tyson boxing glove, signed Baseball memorabilia, autographed guitars from the likes of Bailey Zimmerman, and many other special items.
The main aspect at the beginning of this event was how enamored everyone in attendance was to meet four-time all-star and World Series champion Tim Hudson, the former Atlanta Braves pitcher. The cameras were out in full effect as he waited patiently for all of his longtime supporters to roll into an exclusive meet-and-greet with Hudson inside the Meybohm Club.
Everyone inside the Meybohm Club meet-and-greet was granted the opportunity to interact with Hudson by taking pictures, asking various questions, and having items autographed. Each person could relax in the area while having their own personal beverage made at the bar.
The new Georgia Southern baseball facility that will be fully active in 2026 was also shown off throughout each area of the event, and it allowed each attendee of the event to see the effects of their contributions to the program.
“The events going great so far. I had a chance to get here today and go to the baseball field and meet the team and talk with them for a little bit, see everything that's going on over there from a facility standpoint. And it's really exciting," Tim Hudson said. "You know, I think these young boys are really excited about the future of the program, the facilities. It's always been a great product on the field. And I think now the facilities are going to be able to match the talent that they put out there on the field."
The fundraising banquet kick-started into full effect after the meet-and-greet, where everyone was seated at their assigned tables by number.
Ticket packages were available for those looking to make the most of this exciting evening, including the Priority Table Package, which offered seven seats at a prime table, meet-and-greet tickets, a dinner with an Eagle baseball player, and exclusive memorabilia.
Eagle Baseball FCA Representative Brad Lane started things off with the invocation of the banquet. After this, each table was called up by number to get into line to feast on a delicious meal by Blue Mile Catering.
During this time, Georgia Southern baseball players maneuvered from various tables, talking to club members, boosters, sponsors, and supporters of the program.
This gave the team an opportunity to truly meet the people who play a pivotal part in their everyday operations, and it allowed the team a chance to spend quality time with the people who cheer them on every game.
As each table was catered to, the banquet continued with opening remarks from Finch and Chris Davis, the Director of Athletics, as they reflected on the baseball program and this special event. Things continued with a monumental award presentation to the athletes on the baseball team from last year's season.
Kate Parker was awarded the Gold Glove Award, Thomas Higgins was awarded Most Valuable Pitcher, and Josh Tate was awarded Most Valuable Offensive Player of the Year. The final award of the night was the Jack Stallings Award, named after coach Jack Stallings and all that he did for Georgia Southern baseball. This award is only presented to the guy that the program believes epitomizes everything they want Georgia Southern Baseball to be about. This award went to Statesboro's own JD Kaiser.
The award presentation wrapped up, but it was time for the main event of the banquet, as Tim Hudson gave a special presentation to the audience. He discussed the admiration and respect that he has for the whole baseball program. Hudson was able to dive into his experience being with the team and faculty in the program's facility as he worked alongside the team prior to the banquet.
“I've had a chance for a lot of coaches to pour into my career over the years, and, you know, I'm excited to always come back and meet some of these young athletes, hopefully, future big leaguers, and have a chance to, hopefully, you know, give back a little bit from all the people that helped me over the years,” said Hudson.
The banquet started to close to a graceful end with the winners of the silent auction and raffle tickets announced. The event was capped off with the live auction, where various activities were auctioned off to the people in attendance.
These activities ranged from being a coach for the day, a stay at The Dewberry, and traveling with the team to Clemson. The banquet closed with a final word from Lane and Finch expressing their appreciation of all the supporters that make up this program.
The Georgia Southern Eagles look to gear up for an exciting season as they prepare to have their home opener on Friday, February 14, at 6:30 pm in J.I. Clements Stadium against Western Carolina.
The excitement is in the air as they strive to bring the fight every game with the support of Eagle Nation behind them.
