Elder baseball happy to have a place to call home

Most of us hope to have a place we call home. Baseball teams are no different.

For nearly a century, the Elder baseball program was without a true home, until Saturday. The Panthers pulled the curtain off the freshly furnished Jack Adam Baseball Stadium – the centerpiece of the Panther Athletic Complex – for a doubleheader against Turpin.

Elder principal Tom Otten addressed the crowd before the game with a message that rang true, admitting "It's good to be home."

Relief and nostalgia filled the 500-seat stadium anchoring home plate. Relief because the final piece of a decade-long puzzle had settled comfortably into place, and nostalgia because, baseball especially, is a game that remembers everything. Missing for the Panthers was a place to house their memories.

"There's no place like it, we're humbled and fortunate that we get to play in this environment," said Elder coach Mark Thompson, who's in his 25th season and has never had a losing year.

The day had the feeling of a family affair, an array of old and young faces smeared with smiles.

Jack Adam, a 1957 Elder graduate, challenged the Elder faithful with an offer –he would cover half of the $500,000 stadium if they could raise the other half. Adam said he had no doubt that Elder fans would match his pledge.

"From the first week I spent at Elder, I just kind of fell in love with it," said Adam, who resides in Dayton. "It seems like there's always people at Elder who are willing to step forward."

Elder has embraced generosity and community. It's a school that embodies its slogan, "Altiora" – to strive for the higher things.

"That's what this (stadium) is," said athletic director Dave Dabbelt. "It's the whole Elder concept of giving back and striving for the higher things."

Elder baseball is steeped in history. It's a program that leads the state in all-time wins (1,403), state championships (12) and ranks third in the country in wins, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.

"To see all the old players come back, that's probably been the neatest thing for me," said Thompson.

Elder's no stranger to great stadiums. In the early 1930's, construction started on a concrete football stadium that would eventually seat 10,000 people and become affectionately known as 'The Pit.' That first generation of Panthers executed a vision, and set a precedent that influenced a group of seven Elder grads that set out to make the PAC a reality in 2002.

"I just hope our kids come away with the same passion they did in the 30's and early 2000's," said Dabbelt.

So began the record of a new chapter; the Panthers are 2-0 in their new stadium, beating Turpin 5-0 and 9-1. In the first game, Thompson said his team executed what it preaches to win championships.

"You have solid pitching, work ahead in the count and throw strikes, keep the double play in order, and timely hitting," said Thompson.

Senior Austin Koch was the winning pitcher in the first game and senior Tyler Dugan won the second game.

At the plate, Elder was led by junior Shane Smith who went 2-for-3 and senior Matthew Tucker who was 2-for-3 with a double. Junior infielder Zach Vorherr went 2-for-2 with a double in the second game.

After 91 seasons of baseball, Elder has much to show, much to be proud of, and now they can be proud of the place they call home. ⬛

Elder 5, Turpin 0

W-Koch; L-Flynn. Leaders: E-Smith 2-3; Hauer 2-3; Tucker 2-3, 2B; Lammers 2B, RBI; Orloff 2B. Record: E 5-3.

Elder 9, Turpin 1

W-Dugan; L-Varner. Leaders: E-Ky. Orloff 2-3; Vorherr 2-2, 2B; Boeckmann 2B. Record: E 6-3.