First game played on repaired baseball field
by Richard Lamb–Advance Editor
A rededication of sorts took place at the Steven C. Schalk Memorial Field last week. The high school baseball field, part of Gilpin Memorial Field, got a new infield last year after wildlife destroyed the grass and dug up the infield dirt making it unsafe to host games. Thursday marked the first game played on beautifully restored infield. The work put into the field restored it to the original condition after some years of disrepair.
No games were played on the field in 2023 while repairs took place. Bringing back the field to its former glory brought back memories of the field when it was built 23 years ago.
The field, originally dedicated May 26, 2001, is named after former Hurons’ baseball player Steven C. Schalk, who died in a tragic car accident in 2000. Steven C. Schalk, was a four-year letter-winning pitcher and middle infielder who was a member of the 1998 Huron baseball team that made it to the state semifinals.
His father Gerhardt, who delivered the first pitch on the new field in 2001, reprised his role to toss the first ball Thursday.
He was warmly greeted by coaches Eric Brege and Chuck Krueger, who presented him with a signed ball and a new varsity baseball hat. With the idea of throwing a strike, Gerhardt Schalk warmed up his right arm by throwing a few balls to starting catcher Justin Romel in the bullpen.
Once loosened up, Gerhardt walked to the mound, and with the Hurons lined up along the third baseline, blazed a strike to Romel to start the day on the beautiful baseball diamond.
THE CURRENT Huron players were not born when the field first came to be in 2001. Back on that first dedication day, Gary Pietsch, a former coach of Steven C. Schalk, gave personal remembrances of Steven. He said while Steven didn’t have overpowering stuff, his variety of knuckleballs, drop balls and changeups sometimes made batters look silly.
“Here is the magic of Steven as a pitcher,” Pietsch said in 2001. “You looked around the field and his teammates are all starting to smile. And it was this skinny, little 5-foot 10, 140-pound pitcher who made it all happen. And he was magnificent.”
Detroit Tigers’ great Kirk Gibson helped dedicate the field in 2001, donating money to the project along with former Tigers’ pitcher David Wells.
“Obviously, baseball is important to David and I. We feel it is important to our children and for all your children and grandchildren…the conditions (for his financial support) were whatever we gave, that everybody else in the community chipped in from this day on to maintain this field,” Gibson said in 2001.
He continued, “The other reason I showed up is that it is great to see the community come together and it is great to see that you think athletics is important in your children’s lives. We feel that it teaches teamwork, perseverance and togetherness.”
ANYONE WHO played on the Hurons’ former field, with home plate about where the left field corner is now, would be envious of the new field that was dedicated in 2001 and restored this year.
A major effort led to the creation of the ballfield in 2001. A crew of about 50 workers helped with process of laying 9,500 square yards of sod April 28-30, 2001. That capped a long process of fundraising and hard work that brought this field into existence. The committee to build the field was made up of Mike and Alison Marx, Dick Hanson, Matt Quaine, Greg Erno, Bob Paschke, the late Don Wagner, Wayne Karsten and Steve Truran along with head coach Howard Madsen and his wife Ann.
This rebirth of the Steven C. Schalk Memorial Field began last year with the removal of the old turf and dirt. The Rogers City School Board of Education authorized the hiring of Homefield/DuraEdge to renovate the infields of the baseball and softball fields at a cost of $47,000. From there, the old infield was removed last spring, replaced by beautiful sod and the groomed infield. A tarp kept the infield grass safe and relatively warm all winter and when the tarp came off, the grass was green and ready.
Coaches Brege and Krueger spent many hours carefully grooming the field and watching the traps set to catch any critter that dares to walk on the field. Eric and Chuck deserve a lot of praise for guiding this process through and putting in countless hours to help make it look so good. The results of their efforts are outstanding.
Some trivia about the first game in 2001:
Rogers City won the first game 6-3. Mark Paschke pitched four innings and Brian Hanson finished. Matt Purol started the game for Posen. The first batter was Justin Darga for Posen, who got a hit.
Hurons’ catcher David Quaine got the first hit for the Hurons and pinch runner Ben Darga scored the first run on the new field on Matt Bellmore’s double.
Howard Madsen’s quote from 2001, “I was concerned in the first game because I knew that we had the big, big dedication ceremonies, Kirk Gibson being on the grounds, and the kids were thinking about what they shou
Some trivia about the 2024 game:
Rogers City’s Isaac LaLonde started for the Hurons Thursday, delivering the first pitch to Posen’s Andrew Budnick, who struck out swinging to start the game.
Caden Rhode became the first baserunner leading off the bottom of the first with a walk. He stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored on a bases-loaded walk to Josh Altman.
LaLonde got the win, going three innings without allowing a hit. He struck out eight. He also drove in four runs in the game.
