Baseballers take note — the 11th annual Cherry Creek Baseball Hall of Fame banquet will be on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center.
The entire baseball community is invited to join the celebration in what has become a tradition for one of the most successful and respected schoolboy baseball programs here and across the country.
This year’s them will be “Dreams,” as the 2002 Cherry Creek Class 5A runner-up team will be inducted, in addition to seven new members: Nick Bryant; Bryan King; Nick DiPaolo; Kirk Moyer; Jeff Mielnicki (coach/Diamond Club President); Tony Jarrett (community service); and Dan Weikle (umpire). Master of ceremonies will be Jonathan Wilde (country radio personality) and keynote speaker George Karl (ormer Denver Nuggets head coach).
The spring season should be another exciting year for legendary coach Marc Johnson as he begins his 43rd year at Cherry Creek. In 2012, the Bruins won the state championship title for the first time since 1999. The first state title was captured in 1983 and Cherry Creek has won a total of eight championships and 28 Centennial League championships uner Johnson.
In addition, over 375 Cherry Creek players have gone on to play collegiate baseball, and there have been six first-round draft picks by the major leaguies, as well as more than 75 players who have played professionally.
At age 70, coach Johnson remains a fixture with more than 700 career victories an he stands second in state annals to Eaton’s Jim Danley.
The semi-formal celebration includes dinner, local celebrities, and a live and silent auction filled with an array of items from autographed memorabilia, cash prizes, and luxury vacations.
To purchase tickets or view a list of auction items, visit cherrycreekbaseball.org. For more information, contact Jackie Mielnicki at jackiemielnicki@comcast.net or 720-939-0567. The Cherry Creek Diamond Club is a 501c3 non-profit organization that raises funds for baseball scholarships, equipment and facilities upkeep for Cherry Creek Baseball.
