IOWA FALLS – The public is invited to the Ellsworth Community College baseball team's fourth annual Lead Off Dinner on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 5:30 pm at Highland Golf Club in Iowa Falls. A highlight will be the keynote address from Justin Toole, former Cleveland Indians infielder and author.

"Last year we had a tremendous response to this event, and we are hoping to have continued success this year," explains ECC Head Coach Travis Akre. "This event will fund our spring trips and equipment upgrades, as well as providing substantial funds to the Martin Dittmer baseball scholarship."

ECC alumni, baseball enthusiasts, family, friends, and supporters of ECC baseball are invited to attend.

Keynote speaker Justin Toole, a resident of Council Bluffs, played baseball for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. From there he was an infielder for the Cleveland Indians from 2009-2015, playing as high as AAA. The highlight of his playing career came in 2012, when he played all nine positions in one game for the Indians High-A affiliate in the Carolina League. That game inspired him to write his book, "9 in 9," which combines his experiences from that game with life lessons he's learned from his playing career. Toole spent this past season, his first as a coach, as the hitting coach for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, the Cleveland Indians Short Season A affiliate.

The Lead Off Dinner will include a welcome from Head Coach Akre, a meet-and-greet with the 2017 baseball team, and a silent auction. Items in the silent auction include autographs from Johnny Bench, Dustin Pedroia, Ozzie Smith, Ivan Rodriguez, Curt Schilling, Evan Longoria, and more!

Tickets are $40 per person, which includes the dinner. For ticket information contact Coach Akre at 641-648-8534 or 507-313-9302 or email Travis.Akre@iavalley.edu.

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