The Southern Connecticut Diamond Club, Inc., will hold its 17th Annual Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at The Woodwinds in Branford.
Tickets to the 2025 SCDC Hall of Fame dinner are $65 per person and will only be sold in advance. Ticket sales close a week prior to the dinner. Hors d’oeuvres will be served at 5:30 p.m., with the speaking program and dinner to begin at 6 p.m.
The Southern Connecticut Diamond Club Hall of Fame Class of 2025:
● Mark Brookes (Middletown HS ‘69; Maryville College ‘73) has been the head coach of Haddam-Killingworth High School since 1977. He is the second all-time winningest baseball coach in Connecticut high school history, with 778 career victories. His teams have won 10 Shoreline Conference titles and the 2023 Class S state championship.
● Dave Lanese (Milford HS ‘83; University of Connecticut ‘87) was an all-state honoree for Milford High School and an all-New England selection at UConn. A multi-year MVP in both the West Haven Twilight League League and Bridgeport Senior City League, he later served as a volunteer coach in several Milford youth and travel programs.
● Ron Luneau (Derby HS ’84; Central Connecticut State University ‘89) has been a vital part of the Southern Connecticut Diamond Club Executive Board for 16 years. He has coached football and baseball in greater New Haven for more than three decades, with baseball head coaching stops at Derby High (1997-2003) and West Haven High (2015-22).
● Don Martone (Notre Dame HS-West Haven ‘87; Providence College ‘91) won state championships as a player, assistant coach and head coach at Notre Dame of West Haven. An all-Big East performer at Providence College, Martone was a sophomore on ND’s first state title-winning team in 1985 and coached the Green Knights to the Class L crown in 2016.
● Joe Tonelli Jr. (Notre Dame HS-West Haven ’86; Assumption University ‘90) is the all-time leader in coaching victories at the University of Bridgeport with 217. Tonelli, who owns 406 total NCAA victories, previously founded the baseball program at Albertus Magnus College and is a member of the Falcons’ Athletics Hall of Fame.
● Garrett Walker (Foran HS ‘03; Central Connecticut State University ‘07) earned 12 varsity letters and six All-SWC honors in football, basketball and baseball at Foran High of Milford. He was twice all-state in baseball while playing for his father, Ken. Now the Lions’ football and baseball coach, he led Foran to the 2017 CIAC Class L championship.
The SCDC will also hand out its two usual annual honors, the Andrew Gassira Memorial Umpire Award and the Tony Mentone Memorial Distinguished Service Award, and a new one, the Dan Gooley Legends Award. All three recipients are considered members of the Hall of Fame.
* Carl Perez of East Haven will be presented the Gassira Umpire Award. Perez has been a local umpire since 1980, working baseball and softball from youth to adult leagues. A New Haven native and a graduate of Eli Whitney Technical High School, Perez is a prominent assignor and instructor in the area.
* Richard Shultz of Hamden will receive the Mentone Service Award. Shultz is the umpire-in-chief and a longtime coach and board member in the Hamden Fathers Baseball/Softball Association. A graduate of Hamden High and the University of New Haven, he is the president of Hamden Fathers Basketball and a four-sport CIAC official.
*The late Ken Walker is the inaugural winner of the Gooley Legends Award. A standout player at Milford High School and Central Connecticut State University, Walker won 279 games during two stints as Foran High’s baseball coach. He also guided the Lions to a Class M state championship in football in 1994. Foran’s varsity baseball field is named in his honor.
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Congrats to our class of 2025!! Ticket sales close one week prior to the dinner
* Venmo (@SCDC-1) and note for whom you're attending.
* To pay by credit/debit, use the Buy HOF Tickets link $65 per person.
* To pay by check/money order, email info@southernctdiamondclub.org
Tickets are paperless and your name will be on a list at the door.
Tables seat 10 people ~ Buffet Dinner ~ Cash Bar ~
Silent Auction via Mike Riccio Sports
The Southern Connecticut Diamond Club Hall of Fame honors those who have made a significant impact to the game of baseball in the local area. The Hall of Fame includes players, coaches, umpires, broadcasters, journalists and community volunteers. The HOF dinner is held annually in October, and features our inductees, as well as the Mentone Distinguished Service Award, the Gooley Legends Award, and the Gassira Memorial Umpire Award. Requirements for the hall include people who support our mission of fostering and promoting the game of baseball in the local area.