CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Ryan Braun, former University of Miami baseball student-athlete and MLB star, has made a major gift commitment towards the University of Miami’s Baseball Facility Enhancement Campaign.
The gift goes towards a $7 million campaign that will support funding for a new scoreboard, as well as renovations to the Hurricanes locker room players lounge and nutrition center. The renovations are the second phase in renovations to Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field, following the planned construction of a state-of-the-art indoor practice facility that broke ground this Fall that will house batting cages, bullpens and a multi-purpose area.
“The University of Miami and Hurricanes baseball have always held a special place in my heart,” Braun said. “I am grateful for the opportunity that the University gave me when I was a young baseball player coming from California and I am proud to make this commitment to my alma mater and the program that means so much to me.”
Head baseball coach Gino DiMare, who played for legendary head coach Ron Fraser from 1989-92 and was an assistant on Jim Morris’ staff for 19 seasons, kicked off the fundraising campaign in October with a contribution of $500,000.
DiMare, who recruited Braun to Coral Gables, saw Braun deliver countless big hits over his three years at Miami. With this gift commitment, Braun hit another home run for the Hurricanes.
“Ryan Braun is a proud Hurricane and one of our all-time greats,” DiMare said. “In addition to his success on the field, Ryan also excelled in the classroom and attended UM on an academic scholarship. He is one of the most confident players I ever had the privilege to coach. With his generous donation, I am confident this will help in our campaign towards making our program and facilities among the best in college baseball.”
One of America’s top prep shortstops at Granada Hills H.S. in Los Angeles, Braun was offered athletic scholarships by Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. Instead, Braun chose to parlay his excellent grades into an academic scholarship to the University of Miami, indicating he selected The U for “its academics, its athletics, and its social scene.”
At Miami in 2003, Braun was named “National Freshman of the Year” and a first team “Freshman All-American” by Baseball America. He was also named first team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and the Jewish Sports Review. He earned second team All-American honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the American Baseball Coaches Association. Braun led UM in batting average (.364), home runs (17) and broke Pat Burrell’s freshman record with 76 RBI. As a sophomore in 2004, he hit 10 home runs with 45 RBI in 45 games, including a .606 slugging average and a team-leading 21 stolen bases, all while playing through injuries in his second season in Coral Gables.
Braun had another outstanding season as a junior in 2005, hitting .396 with 18 home runs, 76 RBI and 23 stolen bases. He was named a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award as college baseball’s top player, was named the 2005 ACC Player of the Year, and an All-American by Baseball America.
The fifth overall pick in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, Braun was named the 2007 National League Rookie of the Year and earned National League Most Valuable Player honors in 2011. He has spent all 13 seasons of his MLB career with the Brewers and is a six-time MLB All Star, five-time Silver Slugger Award winner and was the 2012 NL home run leader. Braun was inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
