Kapco Park dedication a hit

Photo Gallery (Rick Tittsler)

MEQUON, Wis. -- Hundreds of Concordia University Wisconsin students and staff lined the field in a 1912 reenactment as CUW President Rev. Dr. Patrick T. Ferry dedicated the new Kapco Park baseball stadium on May 2nd.

Several ceremonial first pitches were thrown, including one by the great grandson of the 1912 Concordia hurler. The Concordia White and Blue faced their first college-level opposition that season, besting Pio Nono College in their opener 100 years ago.

"Base ball", as it was then known, had been alive on the Concordia Milwaukee campus since 1884, but the outside oppositon had been mostly high schools, area businesses and the powerful Milwaukee Police Department "9".

Baseball remained the number one Concordia sport until 1928 when it was dropped in favor of football. Spring rains had forced cancellation of most of the scheduled games for two consecutive seasons.

Hardball did not return to the campus collegiately until 1982 when current coach Val Keiper was handed over the reins of the new program by President R. John Buuck.