New Orleans QB Club shines spotlight on local college baseball at inaugural 'First Pitch' luncheon

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — All area college baseball coaches were front and center during Tuesday’s inaugural First Pitch luncheon presented by the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club and hosted by Crescent City Sports founder Ken Trahan at ‘The Cannery’ in Mid-City.

Former LSU head coach Paul Mainieri headlined the event, which also featured first-year Tulane head coach Jay Uhlman, UNO’s Blake Dean, Loyola’s Jeremy Kennedy, Xavier’s Adrian Holloway, Dillard’s Trennis Grant, Nunez Community College’s Glenn Powell, and Delgado’s Joe Scheuermann, co-host of WGNO’s Friday Night Fastball.

Joining Mainieri and Grant, were first-year Tulane head coach Jay Uhlman, UNO’s Blake Dean, Loyola’s Jeremy Kennedy, Xavier’s Adrian Holloway, Nunez Community College’s Glenn Powell, and Delgado’s Joe Scheuermann, co-host of WGNO’s Friday Night Fastball.

Aside from speaking to the luncheon attendees, each coach also spoke with WGNO sports director Ed Daniels after the event.

Including Mainieri, who spoke about the possibility of returning to the collegiate game.

“I don’t really know, Ed, to be honest with you,” admitted the four-time national coach of the year, who retired in 2021 after 15 years at LSU that included a national championship in 2009. “I feel like I got more in me, and I would like to do it, but the game has also changed a lot with the transfer portal and NIL, all the kind of stuff. I think it would depend on where the opportunity was and if it were really something I wanted to do.”

The event was held three days prior to the first team practices for Division I schools, with opening day for the Green Wave and Privateers scheduled for Feb. 17. NAIA and junior college programs will begin their playing seasons even sooner – Loyola opens its season Jan. 27, Nunez on Jan. 28, Xavier on Jan. 29 and Delgado Feb. 3.