It was OK to shed a tear or two at Clark-LeClair Stadium on Saturday. The celebration of a project that was about eight years in the making along with the home finales of five senior players mixed together to form quite an emotional concoction all involving East Carolina baseball.
The sun came out brilliantly during the morning – just hours after the area had been drenched with heavy spring showers – as the athletic department conducted its official dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for Clark-LeClair. Several of the university's top officials strode to a podium decorated in purple and gold to share their gratitude to the individuals who contributed significant amounts of time and financial resources.
Then before Saturday afternoon's regularly scheduled game, the Pirates honored their five seniors – P.J. Connelly, Brett Lindgren, Drew Costanzo, Billy Richardson and Brian Cavanaugh. Each player was escorted to home plate by members of their family to receive a framed picture of themselves and congratulations from the coaching staff.
The cheers generated by the supporters in attendance for the seniors continued the type of applause that filled the area beforehand during the dedication ceremony.
More than a half dozen different individuals came onto a small dais set up in front of Clark-LeClair to address a crowd of several hundred of the most fervent ECU supporters. The comments ranged from the crisp, to-the-point words from Walter Williams, the co-chairman of the committee that raised the majority of the stadium funds, to the pre-planned short skit between Director of Athletics Terry Holland and his wife Ann, who wore a ECU baseball jersey and asked if she was in heaven. Her husband responded by saying that she was in Greenville, drawing a spirited round of applause. A common theme strung through each person's words: The vision of former baseball coach Keith LeClair, who also was in attendance.
"Keith is a model for what we're trying to do at this university," Chancellor Steve Ballard said about LeClair, who is confined to a ventilator and a wheelchair because of his battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease. "It's a model for everything we do, a team-oriented environment."
That team included more than 150 individuals and organizations that donated at least $10,000 apiece toward the $11 million necessary for stadium construction. Comments written by LeClair and read by Chuck Young, the head of Sports Works Ministry, reminisced about the situation at Harrington Field, fans sitting in the confines of tight aluminum bleachers, ducking away from fouls balls near a small concession stand and venturing to other locales in search of a bathroom.
"Our field of dreams has become a reality," LeClair wrote about the stadium, which includes 3,000 seats in the grandstand, luxury suites, a press box with the latest technology available, a vast concourse with plenty of restrooms and concession areas and an expanded Jungle section with crowned berm for better viewing.
Many speakers also mentioned how the construction was done under tight deadlines, primarily by T.A. Loving Company and E.R. Lewis Company, while the season opener quickly approached and funds dwindled down just as fast.
"To get it done, it really was a site to behold," current ECU baseball coach Randy Mazey said.
Now East Carolina boasts arguably one of the best college baseball facilities in the nation, which what LeClair said from the day he interviewed was going to be key to achieving another dream – reaching the College World Series in Omaha.
"Keith teaches us every day," Terry Holland said, "not to look at life as it is, but to look at it as what it could be."
LeClair's connection to the club still on the field was plain to see with Cavanaugh, the last athlete the former coach recruited. Cavanaugh was award LeClair's former uniform, No. 23, and responded with a season that made him a candidate for Conference USA's Player of the Year Award.
"(Four years) flew by, especially this year," said Cavanaugh, who owns a team-best .375 batting average to go with six homers, 32 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. "When you're playing every day, it just flies. This season has gone by so fast. I'm very fortunate to have played like I did."
East Carolina's other four seniors transferred the university from junior colleges that were located from coast to coast. Costanzo, Lindgren, Connelly and Richardson, as well as Cavanaugh, all enjoyed sterling Pirate careers that included the most successful season in ECU history a year ago.
All of the pregame festivities concluded with a flyover by an Apache helicopter from the 130th Aviation Regiment of the N.C. Army National Guard based in Morrisville. The helicopter, piloted by an ECU alum, circled above the playing field, giving a quick demonstration of its powerful capability.
However, most Pirate fans probably would agree that seeing LeClair and his family participate in all of the celebration on Saturday might have been most powerful of all.
"It was very emotional," Cavanaugh said. "It was great that he was able to come out for the stadium dedication and to see it at its full effect. He's come out a couple of times, but this is the first time he's come out with all of the signs up and everything. It was so great to see him come out."
Nick Zulovich can be reached at (252) 329-9593 or nzulovich@coxnews.com.
