Five years ago, BU Head Baseball Coach Mike Collins began brainstorming with baseball alumni on ways to provide professional opportunities for his players. His goal was to show them that their four years here at BU were just the beginning of their path to personal and professional success.

The result of those efforts was the creation of BU's Baseball Professional Engagement Night. Each year, for the past five years, Collins has gathered his players at Jamison Elementary School in Jamison, PA (except for 2020, when the event went virtual due to COVID) to network with BU Alumni mentors who made themselves available to help them prepare for their careers beyond the classroom and the baseball diamond.

Matt Croyle '95, Huskies Baseball Wall of Honor Member, is an administrator at Jamison Elementary. He was happy to help facilitate a venue for the event when Collins approached him with the idea. Being in the Bucks county area, the school provides a great central location making it relatively convenient for alumni and players to attend.

"Matt took action right away and worked with the team at Jamison to help make the event a success by providing a perfect location to help us achieve the type of atmosphere we needed," Collins says. "I can't thank him and all our baseball alumni, friends, and, of course, the BU Alumni Association and Foundation staff for helping us keep the momentum going for this great event."

According to Collins, the event is a significant component of what he likes to call his #40YearPlan. The idea that he instills into his players from the moment they arrive on campus is that their success starts here at BU, but that it's his job to ensure they have the tools they need to pursue success well beyond the baseball diamond and long after they graduate.

"I always tell my players and our supporters that if all we're doing is winning baseball games, then we aren't doing enough," adds Collins.

January 5, 2023, marked the Fifth Annual BU Baseball Professional Engagement Night. Below are some video clips with highlights from the event and an interview with Baseball Alumni Bob Gibble '68.