The Southern Connecticut Diamond Club, Inc. will hold its annual Hall of Fame induction dinner to honor those who have contributed to baseball in the region on Oct. 17 at Monticello’s Restaurant in Meriden.

Those being inducted include Jim “Butch” Abel of North Branford, a former Wilbur Cross pitcher and semi-pro and pro player; John Anquillare of West Haven, former coach at the University of Bridgeport and the University of New Haven; Dan Ford of Hamden, former pitching star at Hamden High and Quinnipiac University; Earl Mathewson, of North Branford, coach at Sacred Heart University; Bob Moran of West Haven, former West Haven High and Twilight League athlete; and Tony Notarino of Branford, former pitching star at Wilbur Cross High and the University of New Haven.

Fred Norman of New Haven will receive the Andrew Gassira Memorial Umpire Award. Sal Coppola of North Haven will receive the Tony Mentone Memorial Distinguished Service Award.
Hors d’oeuvres will be at 5:30 p.m. Dinner follows promptly at 6:30 p.m. Anyone needing tickets can contact Rose Mentone at 541 Hill St., Hamden on or before Oct. 10 at rmentone@comcast.net or go to southernctdiamondclub.org. Tickets are $55 per person and include a full-course surf and turf dinner or vegetarian, if preferred.

Hand High will induct 21 people into it inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony on Sept. 13 at the Madison Beach Hotel Wharf Restaurant.

The inductees are: Kirsten Anderson Rappleyea (1984), basketball; Bill Barker, who coached boys’ basketball; Jim Bell (1984), football and track and field; Larry Ciotti, who coached football, wrestling and track and field and also served as the school’s athletic director; Victoria Crompton, who coached tennis, girls’ basketball and softball; Bob Duncanson, who coached a number of sports and also served as AD; Jeff Farmer (1974), football and basketball; Rich Fasano, a teacher and district coordinator; Jennifer Fischer Mueller (1981), basketball, field hockey and softball; Kevin Flynn (1980), soccer; Jim Guzzio (1992), wrestling; Ellen Hartmann (1981), gymnastics; Jane Hesford, who coached gymnastics; Pat McCahill (1967), who coached lacrosse and tennis; Andy McConville (1995), soccer; Walter Polson, who was a teacher, coach, AD and principal at the school; Willie Roze (1972), field hockey, basketball and softball; Harold Strong, benefactor of the Strong Athletic Field (Surf Club); Ken Sweitzer (1978), football, basketball and baseball; Dick VanDeventer (1970), soccer, basketball and track and field; and Cory Wielgus (1977), basketball, cross country and soccer.

The $40 tickets are limited for the appetizers and cash bar only, no dinner. For ticket reservations, email cdlena63@gmail.com or mail the money to Christine Lena at 14 Governors Way, Madison, CT 06443.

Billy Vizzo, a New Haven Register All-State and All-Area hockey selection season as a Notre Dame-West Haven junior forward, will be leaving the area to play for the Bay State Breakers (Rockland, Mass.) of the United States Premier Hockey League. The USPHL, an Under-20 league, replaces the Eastern Junior Hockey League.
"I'm looking forward to it," Vizzo said. "I'll be leaving at the end of the month and finish my senior year in high school at one of the local high schools near Boston. The Connecticut Yankees will have a team in the league based out of Stamford so I'll get to play in Connecticut a few times during the season."

Tom Dyer will become the new athletic director at Hamden, replacing Jeanne Cooper, who retired in June.
Dyer, 34, served as co-athletic facilitator at Hillhouse from 2007-13 and the head football coach the last six years, two of them culminating in Class M state football championships (2010 and 2012).
“I’m extremely excited about the new opportunity and looking forward to meeting all of the coaches and student-athletes,” Dyer said. “But I’m also sad about leaving a great program.”
Dyer went 51-17 in his six seasons for the Academics. He also served as an assistant coach at Hillhouse from 2001-06.
“We are very happy to have Tom Dyer in the district as athletic director,” Hamden principal Gary Highsmith said. “He has a great track record, is a successful coach, he’s very enthusiastic and he’s a winner. I think our superintendent (Fran Rabinowitz) made a very, very wise choice.”
Said Dyer: “It was a very tough decision to leave the Hillhouse football program and those kids.”
The Academics also appeared in the Class M semifinals in 2008.
“It’s wonderful for Tommy. Hamden got a quality guy,” New Haven citywide athletic director Joe Canzanella said. “He will do very well in Hamden.”
Canzanella said Reggie Lytle, an assistant on Dyer’s staff, was promoted to interim head coach Wednesday.
“The coaching staff will remain intact as we move forward. Our student-athletes are our No. 1 concern and it was very important to bring someone on board who the kids knew and trusted,” Canzanella said. “I’m excited for Tommy but I’m also excited for the Hillhouse football program as well. I consider Hillhouse one of the top 10 (football) jobs in the state and I believe the kids won’t miss a beat.”
Canzanella said the facilitator position will be filled by Bob Davis, who served in that position with Dyer, and others within the current staff.
Last season, Dyer served a two-day suspension as part of an alleged grade tampering situation that occurred at Hillhouse. Dyer declined to comment on the matter Wednesday.

Cheshire athletic director Steve Trifone announced Tuesday morning that Kristin Drust has been named the school's new softball coach.

She replaced Kathleen Hoag, who resigned at the end of last season. Drust is the wife of Cheshire's football coach, Don Drust.