Sandy Cooprider Sport Fields Complex
Field of Dreams: Timeline and History
Special thanks to Sandy Cooprider for providing a detailed history and timeline of the project. This is truly a field of dreams for the Greater Wenatchee Valley community.
1971
In August of 1971, Sandy Cooprider was hired as a full-time instructor of physical education, head baseball coach and assistant football coach.
1972
After a tour of the Mt. Hood Community College’s new baseball field complete with red individual seating in the stands, a nice press box and a view of the river, a dream for better facilities at WVC was planted.
1987
Cooprider was promoted to athletic director in addition to teaching and serving as the head football coach.
1991
The WVC Knight Football program was terminated after the 1991 season was over. The practice field was converted to host youth soccer programs until the fields were declared unsafe due to over a hundred 35-year old popular trees that lined the perimeter. During this time, men’s and women’s basketball and women’s fastpitch were the only collegiate sports offered at WVC. The vision of converting the unsafe practice field into a sports complex was gaining momentum. The philosophy was to have a quality athletic complex not only for use of WVC athletic teams but as a resource for the community.
1992
To keep the college competitive, it was time to bring back baseball to the WVC campus. The plan included adding men’s and women’s soccer to the Knight athletic program within a couple years. With the approval of the president, Arnie Hutchert, but no access to state funding, Cooprider reached out to the community to raise money to build this facility from outside donations, goods and services. The sports complex dream was starting to take shape.
Community Support: Support during this phase of the project was made possible by Goodfellow Brothers, Selland Construction and Pipkin Construction.
1993
The sports complex project began by cutting down of all the poplar trees, moving them to the north end of the field near Ninth Street, removing all the stumps to the vacant property that the college owned, and pushing and excavating 50,000 cubic yards of dirt to the east end of the existing field. Once the trees were out of the way the construction and excavation brought in their equipment to get to work.
Community Support: Support during this phase of the project was made possible by Goodfellow Brothers, Selland Construction, Pipkin Excavation and Henderson Excavation.
A laser level was used with an elevation drop of one foot per 100 feet. From west to east was 700 feet and from south to north was 600 feet. This was done for drainage purposes and took about two weeks to complete. When that was finished a bowl was formed at the southwest portion of the field. The next week three earthmovers were brought in to complete the rough grading. At this point additional donations were needed to start the next phase of the sport complex. Jim Corcoran, owner of the AppleSox baseball team approached Cooprider to partner to complete the stadium. A plan was proposed to current president Woody Ahn and to the WVC Board of Trustees. In order to move forward with the project with Corcoran, $1.5 million was needed.
Community Support: During the next six months, Cooprider jumped on the task. He spoke with every service club, met with businesses and anyone else who might possibly donate. Pledges came in, however, the project was $200,000 short and the proposal was scrapped.
1994
New racquetball courts were dedicated in honor of Paul Thomas Senior. Paul, a devout baseball fan and the original owner of the Wenatchee Chiefs from 1947 to 1965, was informed the field that had a rough grade done a week earlier (just a bunch of dirt) was a vision to be a baseball stadium. The Chiefs were a farm team affiliated with several MLB franchises during that time.
Community Support: Upon seeing the vision, Paul Sr.’s eyes widened and he pledged $400,000 for the project.
Shortly after Paul’s passing, his son, Dalton, asked to see a plan to complete the baseball stadium. The project was divided into three phases:
Phase I
The irrigation system was installed for the whole complex, along with fencing and backstop.
Community and State Support: The final blue top grading was done with a partnership with Chelan County’s Lynn Berry and the State of Washington Don Senn. The project was a training session to keep their certification for laser grading. They spent a week doing the final grading for the preparation to Brillion seed the outfield, the fastpitch field, and the rest of the adjoining fields. With the help of the Knight coaching staff and baseball team, cement steps, dugouts and storage area were poured on the baseball field. Many goods and services were donated from local businesses. Everything from cement forms, soil compactors and gravel. Hundreds of cubic yards of concrete went into the eventual grandstands, dugouts and storage facility. It took about a week to pour a section at a time. This was done in between the Knights 1994 Baseball season.
During this time the WVC Knight Baseball team was practicing and playing at Recreation Park. Finally, the roofing of the dugouts and the build on the storage facility were completed. The final grade was complete in preparation for installing sod that fall. The irrigation system was ready to install 95,000 square feet of sod on the infield and the perimeter on each side of the baseline areas. The coaches and the players of the Knight Baseball team plus Athletic Director Cooprider completed the sod installation a week before Thanksgiving. The day after installing the sod it snowed 6 inches. It was the best timing because of the moisture from the snow.
Community Support: Support during this phase of the project was made possible by North Central Washington Rental, Selland Construction Company which owned Central Washington Sand and Gravel, Vail Roofing, Overhead Door, and Morrill Asphalt owned by Goodfellow Brothers.
Phase II
With a donation of $400,000 from Dalton Thomas, the project continued with the installation of permanent 8-foot chain link fencing and gates on the perimeter of the baseball field, the installation of the backstop, netting and the purchase of two John Deere Gators and lawnmower. The fastpitch field was improved with fencing, construction of the dugouts with new infield dirt and the installation of a scoreboard. Safeco Field, the Seattle Mariners home field, had just been finished and the naming rights went to them. Safeco Insurance was contacted to ask to donate a large scoreboard.
Community Support: Safeco donated $15,000 and the rest was divided between two local Safeco insurance companies. This gave Safeco/Eastman/Gellatly naming rights on the scoreboard for ten years with a renewal of an additional $10,000 for an additional five years. However, the project was without a source to install the scoreboard. Rob Mitchell, father of a Knight baseball player employed as a fabricator for Chelan County PUD, volunteered to install the scoreboard. Steel girders to hold the 12’ X 24’ scoreboard were found at a salvage yard. He set the girders, welded the support arms, and a crane was provided at no cost to install the scoreboard. Many volunteers from the PUD worked on the project after work hours.
In September 1994, the Baseball All-Star Game was hosted at the Paul Thomas Sr Field. It had been at Lower Columbia Community College for years, and was an accomplishment to bring it to the Wenatchee Valley. Donations were continually being sought to keep the project moving toward completion.
Community Support: Support during this phase of the project was made possible by Dalton Thomas, Safeco Insurance, Eastman Insurance and Gellatly Insurance.
1995
The opening of Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium was celebrated with Dalton Thomas, Paul Thomas Sr’s son, throwing the first pitch of the inaugural game. However, this was not the end of the improvements on WVC campus. The next focus was to develop a soccer practice field and game field on the vacant property to the west of Paul Thomas Sr Field.
Community Support: With help from the Wenatchee and Chelan County Fire Departments, the vacant lot was cleared of the debris that had been dumped over the years, the field rough graded and the irrigation system installed.
The practice field, on the south end next to Fifth Street, was taking shape with Brillion seeded, while the main field was sodded with 110,000 square feet of sod. The installation of sod on the game field was done in only two days. By putting sod on the game field, it allowed the soccer team to play the first soccer game that August. There was a temporary fence installed to make sure everyone was kept off of the practice and game field so it could mature and grow to be ready for the soccer season. The first men’s soccer game was played on Sept. 14, 1996, and the women’s first soccer game was played a year later on the field named for former Knight Football player, Mike Hollis.
Community Support: Support during this phase of the project was made possible by Selland Construction, Mountain View Landscaping, owned by former Knight football player Mike Stubblefield, and Twin Fir Sod Farms.
Phase III
Many businesses and individuals’ volunteered time and supplies during this phase.
1999
With the implosion of the Kingdome, Kingdome Seats were for sale in a public auction. A bid for the 1,200 individual seats was submitted and accepted for a price of $5,000.
Community Support: Community support helped WVC get the seats to Wenatchee. Bob Rust of Weinstein Beverage and Jim Hampton traveled to Seattle with Pepsi Trucks and a truck and trailer to pick up the seats. Fabricator Randy Smith installed the seats on the cement steps at Paul Thomas Sr. Field.
Don Riechert, Wenatchee Rotary Club President 1999-2000, had a vision to use the club’s annual fundraiser to help purchase lights for the stadium.
Community Support: The annual auction featured vacation packages and sports memorabilia from big names such as Kenny Mayne (Cooprider’s first QB “77” and ESPN Sports celebrity) and Jimmy Johnson, Dale Earnhart and Jeff Gordon of NASCAR fame. Drew Bledsoe, famous NFL Quarterback (his Dad coached with Cooprider in 1977 at WVC and Drew served as ball boy) sent autographed footballs, jerseys and framed photos. Steve Largent sent a painted portrait of himself in his famous number 80 Seahawks uniform. When the auction was completed Cooprider was presented a check for $79,000 after expenses.
The lights for the stadium from Musco Lighting would cost $125,000 delivered to our campus. The CEO of Musco was impressed with the project being funded solely on donations, in kind services and volunteer help from the community.
Community Support: Musco Lighting donated the poles for the lights at a cost of $50,000. The installation of the lights began in February 1999. Concrete sonotubes, which are a cardboard tube used to create a column mold and simplify the labor-intensive process, were donated by NCW Rentals, rebar from Morris Steel and PUD personnel volunteers drilled six holes at 30 inch x 28 feet deep. With a donated smaller excavator, trenches where created to connect each light pole to the transformer. Kenny Ball was instrumental in ensuring the sonotubes were level and ready for concrete and placement of the foundation bolts. Central Washington Concrete owned by Brad Selland donated the cement for all the bases. Chelan County PUD volunteers brought their trucks and trailers and transported the lights and poles up to Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium from the maintenance storage area. They placed poles at each base to be installed later in the week. After the curing process had been completed, McCandless Electric, owned by former Knight Football Player, Greg Duncan, donated their crane and operator to set the poles onto each base. McCandless completed the hook up of all electrical lines to the poles and then to the transformer and switch box.
A week later, the lights at Paul Thomas Sr Field were turned on! Without restrooms on site, WVC rented mobile toilets for the fans’ convenience. The next plan was to devise a building plan to accommodate a concession, men’s and women’s restrooms, as well as a clubhouse and storage.
Community Support: A 3,000 square foot building was built with the help of the community for $80,000. Kenny Ball, with the help of many others, constructed the site with CWC providing the cement for the foundation, Marson and Marson donating and providing a huge discount on lumber, windows and doors. Central Washington Plumbing provided all the sinks, toilets and urinals and installed all for a heavy discount. The Local Electricians Union provided apprentice electricians for all the wiring. The roofing materials were donated and installed by Vail Roofing. The employees and Gary Vail helped install the roof in one day.
We had a big barbecue afterward to finish the day, and had it completed in two and a half months, in time for the NWAACC Baseball All-Star Game. We were awarded hosting responsibilities for the NWAACC Baseball tournament once again, drawing it away from Lower Columbia. The rationale was that we had drier weather than they did during this time in May. A contract was signed for the Applesox to play in Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. It was the start of a very long relationship between the Applesox and WVC which still continues today.
Community Support: Additional grandstand seating of 900 aluminum seats was purchased to add to the 520 individual seats donated by AppleSox owner Corcoran. Service clubs and community members were approached to help with the installation of the seats due to financial restraints. With the help of Star Rentals giving us numerous air compressors and air wrenches and the help of a representative from the bleacher company, the new aluminum seating behind home plate and the third base dugout were erected. It was awesome seeing all the volunteers helping with the completion of erecting the bleaches in time for the inaugural start of the 2000 AppleSox season. Sadler Construction, helped erect a movable press box and concierge building. It was constructed on skids to save money and not need a building permit. Time was short and we wanted it constructed before the season started for the Applesox.
The Paul Thomas Sr. Baseball stadium was designed originally to have Babe Ruth Baseball Tournaments, high school playoffs, concerts and even host WVC graduation. The only concert to date is headliner Willie Nelson in July 2000. WVC Graduation is the only event that has not been held in Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.
2013
After 14+ years of constant exposure to the Wenatchee sun, the Kingdome seats had turned a light shade of pink, the paint on the clubhouse, concession and restroom area was peeling, and the backstop needed replacing. A plan was created to refurbish the stadium with the support of Athletic Director Greg Franz.
Community Support: Dalton Thomas came to the aid of the college once again with $100,000 for the project.
All structures were painted a combination of Fenway Green with light tones of green, the weathered Kingdome seats were replaced with green seats complete with cup holders. The infield dirt was replaced with a new mixture of sand and clay for a better playing surface. Greg Hastings was hired to do all the painting and the installation of the new green seats. Franz and Cooprider worked together on the project and Franz ordered new dirt for the infield. They took out about a foot of the old dirt mixture and replaced it with a new mixture of clay and other combinations to meet specifications for infield play. With a partnership with the AppleSox, the aging backstop was replaced with a new cable suspension system with netting. WVC had already purchased the netting for the backstop.
Community Support: The materials for the posts were donated with the assistance of the owner of the AppleSox. Selland Construction donated equipment and personnel to complete the backstop.
Paul Thomas Sr Stadium was updated and ready for more baseball. On opening day of the Knight Baseball season, we invited Dalton and his family to be there. His grandson, Dalton, threw out the first pitch, just as Dalton himself had done some 19 years prior. A new entrance sign was built and a history of Paul Thomas Sr. is mounted on the wall of the press box for fans to learn the legacy of Paul Thomas Sr.
Conclusion
From the beginning of the WVC Knights inaugural game in Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in the spring of 1995, and the addition of the Apple Sox inaugural game June of 2000, there have been thousands of baseball fans attending baseball games on the WVC campus. With the addition of women’s fastpitch, the creation of the North Rotary Field, followed by the addition of men’s and women’s soccer at Mike Hollis Field in the mid-1990s, Wenatchee Valley College and the community can enjoy these venues for many years to come.
