Eaton to speak at hall of fame banquet in Springfield

Among new inductees are Jason Leaver, Will Nichols, Derek Toadvine

Washington Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton will be the guest speaker at the annual Springfield/Clark County Baseball Hall of Fame banquet on Jan. 6.

Eaton, a 2007 Kenton Ridge graduate, is entering his seventh season in the big leagues. He’s a career .284 hitter who was hitting .297 in his first season with Washington before a knee injury in April ended his season.

Eaton was inducted into the hall of fame in 2014. His 2007 Kenton Ridge team, which was the state runner-up when he was a senior, was inducted in 2012.

The 2017 inductees are:

• Shawnee High School graduate Jason Leaver, a standout pitcher for the Braves who played at the University of Georgia.

• Will Nichols, a Northeastern graduate who coached Triad to two state runner-up finishes and is now the coach at his alma mater.

• Derek Toadvine, a Kenton Ridge graduate who played at Kent State and was drafted in the 22nd round by the New York Yankees in 2013.

• The 1994 Northridge 15-year-old Babe Ruth state championship team.

• The 2008 Kenton Ridge baseball team, a state semifinalist.

The banquet will be held at 7 p.m. at Hollenbeck Bayley Center at Clark State at 275 South Limestone Street. Cost is $20. Tickets are available at the National Trails Parks & Recreation Office, 1305 Mitchell Blvd, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets can’t be bought at the door. The deadline to buy tickets is Dec. 29.

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