Slugger surrounded by pitchers for his biggest at-bat

When former two-time All-SLC outfielder Brad Hanson was heading for his biggest lifetime at-bat two weeks ago, he surrounded himself with pitchers.

A collection of ex-Demon players from John Cohen’s last NSU baseball team (2001) and Mitch Gaspard’s first Demon club (2002) gathered in Houston for Hanson’s wedding.

Still in the record books in several offensive categories, Hanson got his best RBI when he was married to Gianne Thomas.

Former Demon pitchers Jason Slanina and O.J. King were groomsmen and former pitchers Carl Makowsky and Zack Sanches were also in attendance. All five were members of two straight SLC championship teams, in Cohen's last year and
Gaspard's first).

The smallest of the group, Sanches, was the last Demon pitcher to defeat LSU. Makowsky is married to former Lady Demon volleyball standout Chelsea Smith.

This news is courtesy of David Stamey, who was the unofficial uncle/dad/barbeque chief for those Demons and many more. Few have done so much for NSU baseball through the years when perhaps by coincidence, but probably not, the Demons emerged as a nationally-competitive program.

All the baseball grads (and former coaches, too) who adore Stamey would enjoy knowing the great news about his oldest son, Brent, a musical prodigy. The 21-year-old Baylor student just won the prestigious Augustana Arts/Reuter National Undergraduate Organ Competition held over the weekend in Denver.

As Stamey reported in an e-mail to friends: “Reuter, for those of you that have similar knowledge of organs as myself, is a big manufacturer of pipe organs. They fly in the four semifinalists, put them up for four days, they practiced Friday, competed Saturday and the winner gets to play a concerto today with the local chamber orchestra. Brent said Thursday that they took them to John Elway's restaurant -- now there is a name you finally recognize!

“As I tend to do, I've made this story longer than it had to be, Brent won first place. He plays the concerto today (Sunday), and very big to him, wins $5,000.”

So much for the illusion of amateurism in big time collegiate music circles, huh?

Adds the proud Dad: “The winner of this event in the past has always been from a top music school, Juliard, Eastman, Indiana, Yale, etc. so to say Brent was excited is understating it.”

Younger son Bryan is majoring in nursing at NSU, and as a freshman is keeping active in sports by helping out the St. Mary’s baseball team. Former All-SLC outfielder Jeramie Hale is the Tigers' head coach. David remains one of the most avid Demon baseball followers, often updating his buddy the SID on scores for road games on “live stats” or webcasts.

Doug Ireland, SID