PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers baseball officially retired Glen "Beef" Gardner's No. 49 in a ceremony Sunday at Bainton Field. The number joins Jeff Torborg's No. 10 and Fred Hill's No. 24 on the right field wall.
 
"Today was very humbling," Gardner said. "For a program that's been around since 1870, there's just three numbers on the wall. There's been many great players and coaches here over the years. For me, it was outstanding to see so many people I haven't seen in a very long time. That's the best part of today."
 
"This is a great weekend for Rutgers baseball," head coach Steve Owens said. "It was amazing to see the cross-section of people here supporting Glen. He impacted so many as a player and coach. This is a well-deserved honor for him."
 
Following speeches from athletic director Pat Hobbs and Owens, teammate Marty O'Brien and former players Dave Marcinak and Joe Waleck delivered remarks and stories about Gardner. Gardner then addressed the crowd before his number was revealed on the wall.
 
 A Rutgers baseball legend, Gardner was one of the most prolific hitters in school history and returned to work 29 seasons on staff. He was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997.
 
Gardner spent 18 seasons as an assistant coach under Hill before serving as the director of baseball operations, volunteer assistant coach and senior advisor to the head coach. The Scarlet Knights secured 870 wins, eight NCAA Regional appearances, seven regular season conference championships and five conference tournament titles with Gardner on staff. That included hosting an NCAA Regional in 2000, a rarity for a Northeast school. Gardner played a key role in identifying, recruiting and developing talent.

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