SAN FRANCISCO— Nearly 50 former Diamond Dons, including several current professional players, from as far back as the 1970s returned to Benedetti Diamond this past weekend for three games as part of the team's Alumni Weekend.
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"I think it's wonderful at all levels," San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano said. "Whether it's a pro player coming back or it's a person in the working world coming back and giving back to the program, it's a great feeling to see people care about where the program is headed and what the program is doing and care about the history of the program." The weekend included the Blast from the Past game, which pitted the post-2000 alumni against the Dons, the Classic Game (pre-2000 alumni) and wrapped up with the Dons vs. Pros game.
The Classic Game got the Sunday festivities going and it featured the likes of Mike Dunne, Tad Tassone, Bill Curran, Bill Mustanich, and Monico Corral. The five inning affair ended 3-0. The Dons have won back-to-back Dons vs. Pros games.
Mustanich graduated in 1970 in History and was the son of James Bill Mustanich who coached baseball at Mission High School from 1953 to 1964.
Next, the Hilltoppers move to Santa Barbara this afternoon for a single meeting with the Gauchos, then go to LA tomorrow for a doubleheader with the Pepperdine Waves. In the opener with UCSB, things looked bleak for the Hilltop nine as junior Mike Delagnes was soundly rapped for five hits and three runs in the top of the first. After getting back a run in the third, the Don swatsmen exploded for their biggest inning of the year in the bottom of the fourth. Grant Steer, Bill Mustanich, and Nick Willard blasted consecutive singles. Phil Wanlin then drilled a double to left, sending the tying runs across. Hurler Mike Delagnes doubled home two more runs, followed by RBI singles off the bats of Biff Barnes and Steer again (TheFoghorn).
