The UNCW baseball team will continue a tradition started last year by holding its Spring Training Banquet at the Wilmington Hilton Riverside Jan. 31

It will be a special evening, in addition to the awards and the introduction of this year’s team, the festivities will honor UNCW legend Bill Brooks for his 40 years of service to the school. Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon will serve as the keynote speaker.

During his tenure, Brooks helped start Seahawk athletics in 1951 and served as the athletic director, chair of the Physical Education Department, basketball coach and baseball coach through his 40-year career. Brooks coached the baseball team for 27 years, building the team from the ground up.

He started the team in 1957 when UNCW was a junior college and by 1976 Brooks helped to transform the team into a NCAA Division I program and in 1985 the team joined the CAA. He finished his coaching career with a 574-292-5 record. He also won two junior college national championships and was inducted into the National Junior College Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. In 1975, he was named NAIA National Coach-of-the-Year. Among the players Brooks coached includ future major leaguers Joel Gibson, Bill Harris, Bill Haywood and Carl Willis.

The baseball team plans to show their appreciation for Brooks by retiring his jersey at the banquet. There will also be a baseball-shaped sign, with the number 574, placed on the outfield wall at Brooks field, honoring his impressive number of victories.

“It is mighty kind of them to honor me, but I never won a game, never got a hit, or never made an out,” Brooks said. “It’s more of an honor for people to recognize the ball team. We had a lot of good athletes that came through here, and it was just an honor for me to work with them.”

Baseball coach Mark Scalf was quick to point out his admiration for Brooks.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without him,” Scalf said. “Coach Brooks is a tremendously knowledgeable baseball person. I was fortunate enough to spend time around him and learn the game.”

McKeon, who guided the Marlins to their unexpected World Series triumph, will be among those honoring Brooks.

“We are excited about having Jack speak,” Scalf said. “He has done everything in the game of baseball and has incredible insight on the changes that have occurred over the past half century.”

Along with the speaking of McKeon and the honoring of Brooks, this year’s banquet will also include a highlight video of last year’s accomplishments and a silent auction of Major League and UNCW memorabilia.

“The banquet is a celebration of the game of baseball here at UNCW,” Scalf said. “We hope to make it a quality evening where the public can come out and enjoy some good food, listen to a high-profile speaker, and get to know this year’s ball club.”