Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench To Speak at WKU

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Athletics announced today that Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench will be the keynote speaker at Baseball’s First Pitch banquet on Saturday, Jan. 27 inside E.A. Diddle Arena. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online or by calling the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation at 270-745-5321. 

Johnny Bench (Photo from WKU Alumni Association)

Ticket Options: 

$1,000 = Table for 8 plus private meet & greet before event 

$500 = Table for 8 (no meet & greet) 

$150 = Individual ticket plus private meet & greet before event 

$65 = Individual ticket (no meet & greet) 

The private meet & greet is only available on a limited basis and will take place from 5-5:45 p.m. Participants will have the opportunity to take a photo with Johnny Bench (no autographs), as well as enjoy a private cocktail hour in the Center Court Club with hors devours and a cash bar. 

Dinner and the program will begin at 6 p.m. on the main court of Diddle Arena. During dinner, attendees will be able to participate in a silent auction, including autographed Johnny Bench memorabilia, unique WKU packages and more, with proceeds supporting the WKU Baseball program. 

About Johnny Bench 

A 1989 inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame and winner of 10 consecutive gold gloves from 1968-77, Johnny Bench helped the Cincinnati Reds to consecutive World Series titles in 1975 and 1976.  The Reds all-time leader in home runs and RBIs, Bench was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1968 and regular season Most Valuable Player in 1970 and 1972.  He earned World Series MVP honors in 1976 after leading the Reds to a 4-0 sweep of the New York Yankees.  The Reds also swept the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1976 National League Championship Series and remain the only team in major league baseball history to sweep both the league championship series and world series in the same season.  Named to the All-Star team in 14 of his 17 seasons, all with the Reds, Bench was named the starting catcher on major league baseball’s all-time team chosen by a panel of 36 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America in 1997.