Naimoli Family Baseball Complex
The University community gathered on Wednesday, October 5, to celebrate the dedication of the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex on the Metropolitan Campus. The complex features an artificial turf surface that is playable much sooner after rain than any natural surface field.
FDU’s “Field of Dreams” became a reality thanks to the generosity of alumnus Vincent Naimoli, MBA’64 (Flor), founder and chairman emeritus of the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball Team, an FDU trustee and a member of the FDU NOW Campaign Steering Committee. “Vince cares deeply about our student-athletes,” said David Langford, director of athletics (Metro). “He believes implicitly that life’s most important lessons are learned on the playing field. We are indebted to him for his generosity and providing this wonderful facility.”
Naimoli's Baseball Complex is the latest step in what is now a five-sport transformation of FDU's Division I athletic facilities, with significant upgrades for softball, indoor track, soccer, tennis, and now baseball.
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Patrick Zenner, President of FDU Board of Trustees. |
Vincent Naimoli with family members, from left, including his brother-in-law Michael Kane, his sister Jill Kane, sister-in-law Glenda Young, his wife Lenda, his niece Jennifer Kane Perry and her husband Christopher Perry, and his nephew Justin Kane. |
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| FDU trustees and senior administrators including: top row, Senior VP for University Advancement Rick Reiss, Anthony Ambrosio, Curt Artis, FDU Chairman of the Board Patrick Zenner, Vincent Naimoli, Robert Hallenbeck, University Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Christopher Capuano and Stewart Krentzman; front row, John Carscadden, Molly Easo-Smith, Mary Kay Stratis, Dan Lewis, Metropolitan Campus Provost Joseph Kiernan, Franklyn Jenifer and William O'Neill. |
Vincent Naimoli with Director of Athletics David Langford. |
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Vincent Naimoli, center back row, with head coach Gary Puccio, on his left and Director of Athletics David Langford on his right, and the FDU Division I baseball team. |
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From left, head coach Gary Puccio and senior co-captains Mike Eliasen and Ryan Kresky, as they present Naimoli with his commemorative team jersey. |
Co-captain Eliasen thanks the Naimoli family. |
