Rams Basketball Alumni Join Squirrels For VCU Night!
Funnville - The Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, are excited to announce that Virginia Commonwealth University basketball alumni Eric Maynor ('05-'09), Ed Nixon ('07-'11), Joey Rodriguez ('07-11) and Johnny Williams ('14-'18), along with VCU Vice President & Director of Athletics Ed McLaughlin will be honored
Funnville - The Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, are excited to announce that Virginia Commonwealth University basketball alumni Eric Maynor ('05-'09), Ed Nixon ('07-'11), Joey Rodriguez ('07-11) and Johnny Williams ('14-'18), along with VCU Vice President & Director of Athletics Ed McLaughlin will be honored at The Diamond during VCU Night on Saturday against Hartford.
The VCU contingent will throw out ceremonial first pitches prior to the contest and the former players will sign autographs for fans on the main concourse during the game. Tickets for Saturday's 6:05 p.m. game (gates at 5 p.m.) can be purchased here.
"Our relationship with VCU Athletics is both tangibly and intangibly special," said Flying Squirrels VP & COO Todd "Parney" Parnell. "The lineup of participants from VCU this Saturday is exactly that. Special."
Saturday's game also includes Super Blast Fireworks. The first 1,000 fans (21+) will receive a free Chin Music 5th Anniversary Slap Koozie, presented by Center of the Universe Brewing Company.
Honoring VCU players at The Diamond has become an annual Flying Squirrels tradition. Williams along with Justin Tillman and Khris Lane makeup the outgoing senior class for 2018. Joey Rodriguez, a member of the 2011 Final Four team, recently completed his first year on the VCU coaching staff. Nixon was also a member of the 2011 Final Four team and Maynor is one of the most decorated Ram players of all-time.
About Maynor
Arguably the most decorated Ram of all-time, Eric Maynor rewrote VCU history during his outstanding four-year career, establishing school records in career points and assists. He currently plays for Orlandina Basket of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA)
Maynor is best remembered for his pull-up jumper with 1.8 seconds left that delivered a 79-77 victory over Duke in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. The victory was VCU's first NCAA Tournament win since 1985 and supplied the program with newfound notoriety.
Maynor was the Colonial Athletic Association's Player of the Year in 2008 and 2009, and was named to the All-CAA First Team three straight seasons. Maynor led the CAA in assists three consecutive years (2007-09) and ranked first in both scoring and assists as a senior in 2009. Additionally, he was a two-time finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the nation's top point guard, and was All-America Honorable Mention as a senior in 2009.
About Ed Nixon
A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Ed Nixon was a four-year standout and two-year starter for the Rams from 2007-2011 and helped lead VCU to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. Nixon was known as a premier on-ball defender and started at shooting guard for VCU during its magical run to the Final Four in 2011. Nixon averaged seven points per game that season and recorded the second-most steals on the team with 46.
About Joey Rodriguez
Joey Rodriguez ranks third in school history in assists, third in steals and 22nd in points. He was on two NCAA teams, including the Final Four and was a member of a CAA Championship team in 2009.
About Johnny Williams
Known for his hard-charging style and his acrobatic finishes around the basket, Richmond-native Johnny Williams appeared in 133 games, including 62 starts for the Rams the past four seasons. He piled up nearly 800 points and 400 assists over that period and was an integral cog in three NCAA Tournament teams, as well as VCU's 2015 Atlantic 10 Championship squad.
The Flying Squirrels continue their six-game road trip on Tuesday evening in Bowie, MD at 6:35 p.m. LHP