View Photos from Commencement

Dec 13, 2017

Alumnus Jack Zduriencik, a former baseball executive, spoke to graduates at Cal U's 185th Commencement. Watch a video of the Commencement ceremony and view photos of the event.

Cal U students wearing cap and gown at Commencement.

A former Cal U education major and Hall of Fame catcher who has built a distinguished career in Major League Baseball returns to campus Dec. 15 and 16 as the speaker at California University of Pennsylvania's 185th Commencement.

Jack Zduriencik, Class of 1974, will deliver the Commencement address at separate ceremonies for undergraduate and graduate students.

Graduate ceremonies begin at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 in the Convocation Center. Master's degree candidates are vested in their academic hoods during the ceremony.

Undergraduate ceremonies start at 10 a.m. Dec. 16, also in the Convocation Center.

Nearly 600 undergraduates and more than 600 graduate students have been invited to participate in Commencement, although not all will attend. University President Geraldine M. Jones will confer the degrees and personally greet each graduate who walks across the stage.

Graduates' families and friends are welcome to attend.

Cal U's 185th Commencement recognizes students who completed their studies in August and December 2017.

Both graduation ceremonies can be viewed live online.

View the Commencement program.

About the speaker

From his early days as a minor league ballplayer to his seven-year stint as general manager for the Seattle Mariners, Jack Zduriencik built a distinguished career in Major League Baseball. Today, Pittsburgh Pirates fans hear Zduriencik's insightful commentary during the Bucs' pre- and post-game shows on AT&T Sports and KDKA-FM.

Zduriencik transferred to California State College in 1971 and was a two-year all-conference starting catcher and team captain for Vulcans baseball in 1972 and 1973. The Chicago White Sox signed him after his junior year, and he played two seasons of minor league ball before returning to California to finish his degree in education.

After coaching high school teams in Clairton, Pa., and Tarpon Springs, Fla., Zduriencik became a scout for the New York Mets, in 1983. Scouting and front-office roles took him across the country until the New Castle native came back to western Pennsylvania in 1991 as director of scouting for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Zduriencik returned to the Mets in 1994 as the organization's minor league operations director; four years later he was named special assistant to the general manager. He then moved to the Los Angeles Dodgers as director of international scouting and special assistant to the general manager before joining the Milwaukee Brewers in 1999.

In Milwaukee Zduriencik rose to the position of vice president and special assistant to the general manager. In 2007 he was the first non-GM to be named Baseball America's Executive of the Year, and in 2008 he helped the Brewers make the organization's first post-season appearance in 26 years.

His next stop was the state of Washington, where, from 2008-2015, Zduriencik served as executive vice president and general manager of baseball operations for the Seattle Mariners.

He has been with AT&T Sports and KDKA-FM since 2016.

Zduriencik was inducted into the Lawrence County Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.

He and his wife of 35 years, Debbie, reside in Treesdale, Pa. Their daughter, Kimberly Swendsen, is a nurse practitioner in Pittsburgh.