SDSU Fans Gather to Watch Stephen Strasburg Pitch for the National League

He may not have been able to hear them, but they were cheering all the same. A crowd of 60 SDSU fans gathered at Randy Jones All American Grill in Mission Valley July 10 to watch on television as SDSU alum Stephen Strasburg pitched for the National League in major league baseball’s annual all-star game.

July 10, 2012: Aztec fans gather at Randy Jones All American Grill to watch SDSU alum Stephen Strasburg pitch in major league baseball's all-star game.

Strasburg pitched a scoreless inning in helping the NL team defeat the American League all-stars 8 - 0. SDSU Alumni Association lifetime member Rosalie Kostanzer (’59) and her husband Mike Keefe were among those at the Alumni Association-sponsored watch party happy to see a fellow Aztec shining in the national spotlight.

"I'm so excited about him and what's happening,” said Kostanzer of Strasburg’s professional baseball success. “We adore him.”

So, apparently, do several other Strasburg fans who participated in a day-long telephone auction for a jersey autographed by the Washington Nationals pitcher. The latest tally was regularly posted on the Alumni Association website and at the end of the bidding, a lifetime member from Ohio claimed the keepsake for $900. Proceeds will benefit the SDSU baseball program.

Rosalie Kostanzer ('59) says she is excited about Stephen Strasburg's success as a major league baseball pitcher.

Kostanzer said she’s a Strasburg fan because she’s an Aztec “and I just feel this connection any time I meet or know somebody who's gone to State or graduated from State. It's a family."

Then there’s the way Strasburg comports himself.

"Attitude is everything and he's got it," Kostanzer said. “He’s just fabulous.”

And if she could deliver a message to her favorite pro pitcher, what would it be?

"We're behind you,” she said. Just like family.