Luis "Wicho" Hernandez Named Banquet Speaker
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Former Miami Hurricanes team captain Luis “Wicho” Hernandez will serve as the keynote speaker for the 2016 First Pitch Banquet, head baseball coach Jim Morris announced Thursday.
“There’s been a history of former players coming back to speak at our banquet, and there’s no better person to have speak than Wicho,” Morris said. “He was a team captain, our team MVP and he signed a professional baseball contract. He got his master’s degree at Harvard, he is a very successful businessman and he’s a great supporter of our program. I’m very excited.”
To purchase tickets to the 2016 First Pitch Banquet, slated for Friday, Feb. 12 at the BankUnited Center Fieldhouse, click HERE or call the Alumni Programs office at either (305) 284-9517.
Hernandez, recognized as a leading businessman in the field of financial services, currently serves as the managing partner of MassMutual Miami. He graduated from Miami in 1994 with a Bachelor of Business Administration and earned a Master of Industrial Psychology from Harvard in 1996.
A four-year letterwinner for Miami from 1991-1994, Hernandez was named to the 1994 National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association (NCBWA) Super Team in his final season. Hernandez ranks seventh all-time in Miami history in stolen bases (102) and seventh in total sacrifices (38). He was drafted by the New York Mets in the 1994 MLB Draft, and ended his career with a .300 batting average in 224 career games.
Miami made it to Omaha, Neb., and the College World Series in two of his four seasons at Miami, including Morris’ first season at the helm in 1994. The Hurricanes also qualified for the CWS in Hernandez’ sophomore year (1992).
“No one is more committed and more loyal to this program than Wicho is, and I’m sure he’ll deliver a great message for everyone in attendance,” Morris said.
Hernandez’ passion also spills into his community where he is deeply involved in a variety of leadership roles for several organizations. These include YPO (Young Presidents Organization), Orange Bowl Committee, Iron Arrow Honor Society, The South Miami Hospital Foundation Board, Metro Traffic Board, United Way Benefactor, Baptist Hospital Founder and APOLLO Bank Board, among others. Due to his passion in helping the community, Wicho also founded a charity golf tournament, “Wicho’s On The Green.” In its 11th year, the tournament has raised money to help organizations like Autism Society Miami-Dade Chapter, MS South Florida, the UM-NSU Card (University of Miami/Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities), Children’s Cancer Caring Center, Miami’s Lighthouse for the Blind, and many others.
“That’s what Wicho best represents, and what I want our guys to strive to become: a well-rounded person, one that’s prepared for life at every angle,” Morris said. “I’m sure most of our players want to play professional baseball, but at the end of the day, most guys don’t play in the big leagues. They need to be prepared for wherever life takes them.”
