CCCC breaks ground on new baseball clubhouse

Cloud County Community College broke ground Monday on a new baseball clubhouse at Lee Doyen Field in Concordia.

 

More than $500,000 has been secured for the clubhouse, which will provide a home at the Concordia Sports Complex for the Cloud County baseball program. The college has a longstanding partnership with the City of Concordia using the Lee Doyen field for both practices and games. The clubhouse project will complement the recent turf project, which was also a partnership between the college and the city.

 

The new 2,300 square foot facility will be located adjacent to the Cloud County home dugout. The clubhouse will feature a locker room, coaches' offices, a player lounge area, restrooms, laundry facility, equipment storage, and a kitchenette to create a dedicated facility for the T-Bird baseball team.

 

Fundraising began with a lead gift of $250,000 from Cloud County baseball alum Zach Hamel. In recognition of Hamel, the facility will be named the Hamel Family Baseball Clubhouse. The Cloud County Community College Board of Trustees and the Cloud County Community College Foundation Board of Directors each contributed $50,000 to the project, while individual donors throughout T-Bird Nation stepped up during a fundraising campaign this fall.

 

The Cloud County baseball team is coming off its most successful season in school history with a record of 48-17 and an appearance in the 2025 NJCAA Region 6 Plains District Baseball Tournament championship game. Currently, there are four former T-Birds on MLB affiliated teams, and 19 former players in NCAA Division I baseball programs.

 

Those interested in donations or sponsorships for the clubhouse project can contact Heather Gennette, Executive Director of the Foundation, at 785-243-1435, ext. 235, or by email at hgennette@cloud.edu.

 

CUTLINE: A small groundbreaking for the new CCCC Baseball Clubhouse was held on Monday, October 20, at Lee Doyen field at the Concordia Sports Complex. Pictured, left to right are: Amy Lange, Concordia City Manager; Chris Atkins, Concordia Parks and Recreation Director; Toby Nosker, CCCC Foundation Vice President; Michael Parr, Assistant Baseball Coach; Eric Gilliland, Head Baseball Coach; Zach Gerch, Assistant Baseball Coach; Kevin Muff, CCCC Board Vice Chair; Matt Bechard, Athletic Director; Amber Knoettgen, President; and Heather Gennette, Foundation Executive Director.