Malseed will throw the opening pitch for the April 29 Charlotte Knights vs. Toledo
Mud Hens game. He was the first Winthrop player ever taken in the Major League Draft.
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA — Batter up, hear that call: Former Winthrop baseball standout Jim Malseed '87 will step up to the mound at BB&T Ballpark April 29 to throw the first pitch at the Charlotte Knights game.
Malseed's opening pitch before the 7:05 p.m. start time will begin the second Winthrop Night with the Knights, where alumni, faculty/staff and Winthrop supporters will root for the home team
against the Toledo Mud Hens. The pitch will mark the first time in more than a decade
that Malseed has thrown a ball in a professional setting. However, he isn't too worried
because regardless of the outcome, the event will be a way to combine two loves: baseball
and his alma mater.
"Baseball was a big part of my life, and Winthrop University is near and dear to my
heart," said Malseed. This will be the first time he's stepped up to the mound, and
he doesn't expect the pitch will jump-start a comeback. "One pitch and I'm done,"
he joked.
The Charlotte, North Carolina, resident was a baseball star at Winthrop. During his
years as an outfielder, he became one of the program's all-time leaders in eight offensive categories. Malseed, who earned his B.S. in business administration, was selected to the Big South Conference All-Tournament Team in 1987.
Later that year, Malseed became the first Winthrop player ever taken in the Major League Draft. He played for the Pocatello Giants (1987), the Fresno Suns (1988) and the San Jose
Giants (1989). Today Malseed works as chief customer officer for Gear For Sports. He was inducted into the Winthrop Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.
Purchase tickets for the April 29 game online at www.ticketreturn.com. Join the Winthrop Alumni Association for a pre-game gathering at 5:30 p.m. at Mellow Mushroom — Uptown, 255 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Charlotte, where complimentary appetizers
and a cash bar will be provided. RSVP via e-mail to rsvp@winthrop.edu for the Mellow Mushroom event.
For more information, contact Winthrop's Office of Communications and Marketing at
803/323-2236.
