On April 15th, 2023, Dustin De Felice was given the honor of throwing out the first pitch at the Military Appreciation Baseball Game. The Michigan State Spartans hosted the Western Illinois Leathernecks. As part of this important event, the crowd was treated to a visit by the Rolling Thunder, an inspirational song and the National Anthem by Kelly Trudell, and this first pitch!
Dustin was so thankful for the opportunity, and he felt it was such an unbelievable honor, and the team, MSU marketing, MSU Athletics, and the whole crew were just wonderful! He especially wants to thank the Student Veteran Resource Center, the Veteran Outreach Committee at MSU, Patrick Forystek, Director of the SVRC, Kathie Elliot, MSU Human Resources, Allison Zwarka, Assistant Director of Marketing & Fan Engagement, and Taylor Kayer, Graduate Assistant, Marketing & Fan Engagement. His pitch wouldn’t have been complete without Trent Farquhar catching the ball!
It was such a special moment for me after having served for four years in the U.S. Coast Guard so many years ago. I don’t think my younger self would have ever believe that I would be given the chance to stand on the field and throw the first pitch for such an impressive baseball team. The team, the marketing staff, and the fans made this a very special day for this veteran. I will make sure to share this appreciation with all veterans and the military community at MSU. Go Green!
From Dustin De Felice after completing the first pitch. He was also given the ball that now sits on his desk. This special ball includes the scuff mark that proves he threw a slider that didn’t quite make it to home plate, but was deftly caught by Trent Farquhar.
