Valencia Baseball Hosts Inaugural Alumni Dinner, Keynote Speaker MLB’s Keston Hiura

The Valencia baseball program will launch a new tradition Friday night as it hosts its inaugural “Grand Slam Alumni Dinner” at the Valencia Country Club, an event highlighted by the return of its most decorated alumnus, former Milwaukee Brewers infielder and 2014 Valencia graduate Keston Hiura.

The Valencia alumni dinner, running from 6 – 10 p.m. on Black Friday, or as the program now calls it, “Purple Friday,” marks the program’s first-ever formal alumni gathering.

For decades, Valencia baseball has held an annual alumni game on Thanksgiving weekend, but this year the booster club decided to expand the celebration into something larger.

“Every year we’ve had the alumni game right after Thanksgiving,” said Valencia Baseball Booster President Arnold Jaquez. “So this year we decided to do something different. Instead of just having them come together and play on Saturday morning, we decided to have a nice dinner for them the night before — just a chance to have some drinks, have some dinner, hang out a little bit, and then recognize any successes the program has had.”

The sellout-level interest came quickly. The program hoped to draw about 100 attendees, but surpassed that figure days before the event.

“We’re already at 120 tickets sold. I think we’ve got room for 160,” Jaquez said. “This is the week I’m confused about — I could sell zero tickets, ten, or fifty. Everybody’s coming home for Thanksgiving. I hope the Country Club doesn’t get too mad at me if I end up adding another 30 or 40 seats.”

As part of the expanded celebration, the program is recognizing an “Alumni of the Year” for each season since its founding in 1998. The selection process was handled by longtime Valencia coaches Mike Killinger and Tim Pinal.

“We just went back to 1998 when the program started and picked an alumni of the year for every year,” Jaquez said. “If they won Foothill League Player of the Year, that made it easy. For the other years, we looked at district awards, all-state, stats — the coaches determined who stood out most for each season.”

Valencia will also celebrate its 12 Foothill League championship teams, the most recent coming in 2023. Players from championship squads dating back to 2002 will be in attendance.

Hiura, widely considered the most accomplished player to come through the Valencia program, will headline the night as the keynote speaker. He will also be inducted into the Valencia Baseball Hall of Fame.

112525 Keston Hiura Valencia Baseball

Keston Hiura courtesy image

“He’s the big one,” Jaquez said. “He’s the one we’ve always been wondering, ‘Why isn’t he in there already?’ So yeah, it’s going to be a pretty cool event.”

Hiura’s high school resume remains unmatched across much of the Foothill League:

2014 All-State selection

Foothill League Player of the Year

First Team All-CIF

Second-most home runs in program history (14)

Second-highest on-base percentage (.595)

Most career runs scored in program history (43)

One of only three Vikings ever to hit for the cycle

Hiura went on to be selected ninth overall in the 2017 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, still the highest draft position for any Valencia alumnus. He spent several seasons in the majors with the Brewers, Angels, Rockies and remains a free agent entering 2025.

“As soon as he committed to being the keynote, everything snowballed from there,” Jaquez said.

The evening will also give current players, nearly 30 of whom are already registered, the chance to connect with alumni now playing in college or who have appeared in professional baseball.

To make attendance easier for players, the program partnered with Patron’s Mexican Grill, which covered half the ticket cost for every current Viking.

“That was pretty cool, too,” Jaquez said. “The JV kids actually found the sponsor — they went in and talked to them. The owner was awesome and cut a check right away.”

Valencia baseball has produced 24 players who have reached the MLB, including high draft picks such as Danny Worth and several others who will be recognized during the event.

The night will also feature appearances by current college standouts like Ricky Ojeda (UC Irvine), along with multiple active collegiate players from various programs.

Jaquez said his own family’s long connection to the program has made organizing the inaugural event especially meaningful.

“I’m very excited because I have two boys who graduated — one in 2023 and one in 2025 — and another son who just started as a freshman,” he said. “Valencia baseball is in our blood, and all three of my boys have had a great experience here.”

His sons Noah and Evan shared the field on Valencia’s 2023 Foothill League title team, a moment Jaquez said he’ll never forget.

“That was a really fun experience… to do it at the high school level and to win a championship. It was very emotional,” he explained.

With strong turnout from parents, alumni, sponsors, and the community, Jaquez hopes this becomes a yearly staple for the Vikings.

“Hopefully, every year we can recognize the most impactful alum on Purple Friday,” said Jaquez. “The first one’s always the hardest. We’re going through growing pains, but we’re excited. It’s a great location, a great crowd, and Keston’s the big story.”

For Jaquez, the meaning extends beyond logistics and ticket counts.

“It makes me feel really good seeing how many people are bought in,” he said. “Everyone I called was super honored and excited. The alumni said this is a great example for the league that everyone should stay connected. And that’s what this night is all about.”

Valencia Baseball Hosts Inaugural Alumni Dinner, Keynote Speaker MLB’s Keston Hiura

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