Washington Nationals second baseman and former Dirtbag Danny Espinosa will serve as the keynote speaker for the 2012 Leadoff Dinner, which will be held on Thursday, Jan. 26 at The Grand in Long Beach.
The Leadoff Dinner serves as an opportunity to get a first glimpse of the 2012 Long Beach State baseball team and hear a former Dirtbag legend share his baseball experiences.
“We are honored, proud and excited to had Danny be our featured speaker for this year’s Leadoff Dinner,” LBSU head coach Troy Buckley. “Danny continues the tradition of ex-Dirtbags that are Major League players, and we are looking forward to Danny sharing his journey to the highest level of our sport.”
After making his debut with the Nationals in 2010, Espinosa had a fine debut in his first full season with the Nationals, finishing sixth in the National League Rookie of the Year award voting.
In his first full season, Espinosa played in 158 games for Washington while starting at second base, hitting .236 with 21 home runs, 29 doubles and 17 stolen bases.
Espinosa was a two-time All-Big West selection at shortstop for Long Beach, hitting .303 with 11 home runs in his three seasons with the Dirtbags. Espinosa led the Dirtbags to two NCAA Regional appearances, hosting the Regional round in both 2007 and 2008 before being drafted in the third round of the MLB draft by Washington.
Last year, three-time All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays spoke at the Leadoff Dinner.
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