Jan. 23, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Pittsburgh Pirates third base coach Rick Sofield offered many words of wisdom to close the Fourth Annual Penn State Baseball First Pitch Dinner Friday evening at The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center.
The gathering included nearly 160 people composed of the team, families, alumni, and fans. Penn State broadcaster Steve Jones emceed the event, while Sofield delivered the keynote address. The central theme of his speech was the choice between the "pain of discipline" and the "pain of regret," telling the student-athletes that on and off the field they, had the choice of which one they would experience.
Sofield brought a unique perspective as, although he has been coaching within the Pirates organization since 2012, he has extensive experience with the collegiate level. He was the head coach at the University of Utah for eight seasons (1987-94) and the head coach of the University of South Carolina Beaufort for four seasons prior to joining the Pirates.
Other topics he touched on included dealing with failure and the importance of academics.
Marketing manager Loren Crispell discussed the upcoming season at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park to start the evening, while Dr. John Nichols spoke on the team's trip to Cuba in November. The Nittany Lions were presented their jerseys by the alumni in attendance and head coach Rob Cooper remarked on the upcoming season, as well.
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