RUSTON – Former Tennessee All-American and two-time Olympian Monica Abbott will be the guest speaker at the inaugural "Dinner on the Diamond" hosted by Louisiana Tech Softball.
 
Dinner on the Diamond is scheduled for Saturday, October 19 at 7 p.m. at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field at the Origin Bank Softball and Soccer Complex. The event will take place on the turf field at the home of Bulldog Softball.
 
Individual tickets for the Dinner on the Diamond are $35 each while tables start at $350 with one table available for a party of four to sit with Bulldog Head Coach Josh Taylor and keynote speaker, Monica Abbott. The Davison Athletic Complex will be reserved for a weather-related change of venue. To purchase tickets for Dinner on the Diamond, go to LATechSports.com/DinnerOnTheDiamond.
 
The fundraising event will serve as an opportunity to meet the 2024-25 Bulldog Softball team as well as hear from both Abbott and Taylor.
 
The evening will include a formal program, dinner with a cash bar, silent auction, raffles and more. Gates open at 7 p.m. and dinner along with our formal program will begin at 7:30 p.m.
 
Head coach Josh Taylor will introduce this year's Bulldog softball staff and players and will provide insight into the 2025 season. A two-time Conference USA Coach of the Year, Taylor is entering his fourth year at the helm of the program after leading Tech to the 2022 CUSA regular season title.
 
Monica Abbott starred for the Lady Volunteers (2004-07) and is still the NCAA Division I leader in wins, strikeouts, shutouts and innings. She is a 2-time Olympic silver medalist for Team USA (2008, 2020) and a 5-time National Professional Fastpitch (NPF) champion and 6-time Japanese Softball League champion.
 
She was the first pitcher in NCAA Division I history to record 500 strikeouts in all four years of her collegiate career. She was Tennessee's first All-American and led the Lady Volunteers to three Women's College World Series appearances.
 
Dinner on the Diamond is the second half of a "weekend doubleheader" as Abbott will conduct a softball clinic on Friday (Oct. 18) from 5 to 9 p.m. at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field. Abbott will be joined by Tech pitching coach Chelsea Cohen for the pitching aspect of the camp while Taylor will serve as the hitting instructor.  Tech assistant Tyler Krobetzky will serve as the catching instructor. Tech softball players will also assist throughout the clinic.
 
To reserve a spot in the clinic, folks can go to LATechSports.com/AbbottClinic.
 
To purchase tickets for Dinner on the Diamond, go to LATechSports.com/DinnerOnTheDiamond.