CSUN Baseball Hosts Fourth Annual Preseason Banquet and Fundraiser

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball is set to host its fourth annual Preseason Banquet & Fundraiser on Saturday, January 24 at the Porter Valley Country Club. The event will begin at 5 p.m.

Guest speakers include CSUN head baseball coach Eddie Cornejo and former Matador All-American Scott Sharts. Mario Soto, who serves as the sports psychologist for the team, will emcee the festivities.

The event brings together alumni, families, supporters and community partners for an evening that fuels the future of CSUN Baseball and helps the program compete at the highest level.

The Matadors will host a Paddle Raise for the second consecutive year, building off the momentum from the 2025 preseason fundraiser where over $200,000 was raised in support of the CSUN Baseball program.

In addition, CSUN will honor the legacies of the Edmundson and Sharts families and their impact to the baseball program.

Paul Edmondson was a member of the Matador baseball team from 1963-65, earning three All-CCAA awards and helping CSUN, then known as San Fernando Valley State College, to its first-ever conference championship in 1965. Edmondson would become the first Matador to play in Major League Baseball, spending a season with the Chicago White Sox in 1969 before tragically passing away a year later. He also tossed a complete game two-hitter in his Major League debut in a 9-1 White Sox win over the California Angels.

Jim Edmondson, younger brother to Paul, would also attend San Fernando Valley State College. After his graduation, he found his love for conservation and steelhead trout, eventually holding several positions with California Trout, a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to restoring and protecting California's native fish, wild waters, ecosystems and habitat restoration. Edmondson retired as Executive Director with CalTrout in 2007.

Nephews to the Edmondsons, Scott and Steve Sharts each had exceptional baseball careers with CSUN.

Scott Sharts excelled as both a hitter and pitcher in his Matador career from 1990-91. Sharts was a member of CSUN's Division II national runner-up team in 1990 while he helped the Matadors win 44 games and advance to the NCAA Regionals in the program's first year at the Division I level. He led CSUN in home runs in each of his two seasons, eventually setting Matador single season (29) and career (51) home run marks – records that still stand to this day. Sharts also recorded 13 complete games and 139 strikeouts as a pitcher in 1991. A two-time All-American, Sharts was drafted by the Cleveland Indians and went on to play three seasons professionally.

A three-year letterwinners from 1983-85, Steve Sharts, older brother to Scott, was a standout pitcher on CSUN's second NCAA Division II championship team in 1984. Sharts went on to lead the team in wins (9) and strikeouts (65) in his senior season while he received a pair of All-District and All-CCAA First Team nods in his career. Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies, Sharts played six years professionally and advanced as far as the Triple-A ranks.

To register to the preseason banquet, please click here.

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CSUN Baseball Hosts Fourth Annual Preseason Banquet and Fundraiser

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