Sports

Left: The Pilots played the University of San Francisco on March 25, 2022. In four of the last five seasons, the Pilots have eclipsed the 20-victory mark, the exception being the 2020 season (when they finished 12-4 but the season was cut short due to the pandemic). Below: During the game, we captured the shenanigans of three uber-fans—Theo Salomone (9), Milo Salomone (14), and Jude Salomone (11) —making good use of the grassy berm along the first-base line, but they’re only permitted to head over there after cheering for the Pilots from their stadium seats for three full innings. Family rule.

Etzel Field

A stadium you’re proud to call home

GEOFF LOOMIS ’94, the Pilots’ baseball coach since 2016, admits that he’ll always have a soft spot for Pilot Stadium, the field he played on while attending University of Portland.

“When I came here to play baseball in 1990, the stadium, at that point, was only within five years of being brand new,” Loomis says. “In the Northwest, and at that time, I would say that our stadium was one of the best. I remember that it had an influence on my decision to come here.”

Over time, the Pacific Northwest elements we’re all familiar with—driving rain, howling winds, and the occasional dusting of snow—began to take its toll on the field that Loomis excelled on from 1990 to 1992.

“The stadium was one strong wind from blowing over,” Loomis says. “It had served its purpose. Its time had come.”

Enter Joe Etzel Field, which might be one of the nicest baseball stadiums in the West Coast Conference, and possibly the West Coast—a ballpark that’s undergone several development phases over the last eight years to become the gem it is today.

The Pilots officially opened Joe Etzel Field on Feb. 21, 2021, with a doubleheader against Seattle University. The Pilots won the second game that day, 7-0, thanks in large part to a grand slam by Jake Holcroft.

In 2014, Joe Etzel Field got a new AstroTurf surface—which is a must in these parts—a scoreboard, bullpen area, and a new fence. Two years later, the ballpark got a grass berm down the right field line and new lighting.

In 2020, Phase III of the development plan was completed as a new press box, grandstands, and other amenities were finished to give the ballpark the look of a polished minor league stadium.

Toss in the Andy Pienovi Hitting Facility, constructed in 2005, and you now have one of the top college ballparks in the game, giving the Pilots a distinct home-field advantage.

“We didn’t need to increase the number of seats in our stadium to 5,000 or something, but if we made it for 1,500 spectators, it’s going to feel like the stadium is packed,” Loomis says of the ballpark, which can fit 1,300 fans.

“The final product makes all the difference in the world,” Loomis says. “It’s a perfect setting for a mid-major school.”

Chad Stevens, a shortstop for the Pilots from 2018 to 2021 who is now part of the Houston Astros’ minor league system, says Joe Etzel Field is a stadium “you’re proud to call home.” “The renovations turned out beautiful and it was awesome to be able to play on it last year—the field is everything you can ask for as a player,” Stevens says. “It’s great to be able to play in the center of campus and feel the support of the Portland community.

“The upgraded stadium is ushering in a new generation of Portland baseball that will continue to grow and reach new heights.”

COREY BROCK is a freelance writer based in Vancouver, WA.

The Pilots are Grateful

We were humbled yet again by the generosity of our community! More than 2,000 donors contributed to this year’s PilotsGive, pledging over $1,000,000 to support scholarships, academic programs, Pilot athletics, and more. Donors participated in several challenges, including the Pilot Academic Challenge, the Pilot Parent Student Experience Challenge, and the Club Challenge. Thank you to all the students, alumni, parents, Regents, faculty, staff, and friends of the University who participated. Your incredible generosity ensures that our students will have the support and resources they need to thrive.

EXAMS GOT YOUR GOAT? PET GOATS!

Students fought Finals fears by spending time at this year’s Wellness Fair. They enjoyed Italian sodas from Espresso UP, scoops of Kate’s Ice Cream, and best of all, some serious cuddle time with baby goats from Portland Goat Parties, an actual business.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SYDNEY GANNON

UP Civil Engineers Earn Accolades in EPA’s RainWorks Challenge

A TEAM OF four senior civil engineering students, led by faculty advisor Jordy Wolfand, impressed the judges of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Campus RainWorks Challenge. They earned an honorable mention in the Master Plan category, going up against forty-two teams from thirtyfive different academic institutions across twenty-four states. It was the first time a team from UP entered the ten-yearold competition.

Bryson Tamaye ’22, Elizabeth Diaz-Gunning ’22, Melissa Hamling ’22, and Sean Yoshishige ’22 spent months researching and talking to stakeholders, including students, to create new ways to manage stormwater runoff on campus. Green infrastructure was the main goal, with all its environmental, economic, and social benefits. Their master plan included living walls, a massive cistern, and improvements to existing infrastructure. But the crown jewel? A river view mental health “haven,” equipped with a stormwater capture device to supply water for an indoor fountain. What a smart way to solve two seemingly unrelated problems by making them work together. Kudos to the team!

Welcome, Dean Valerie S. Banschbach

VALERIE S. BANSCHBACH, PHD, will begin her tenure as the new Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences on July 1, 2022. Dr. Banschbach joins UP from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, where she served as associate provost and dean of Sciences and Education. In her nearly thirty-year academic career, she has held leadership roles at Roanoke College in Virginia and Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. She has received a State Council of Higher Education Outstanding Faculty Award for Virginia and a Fulbright-Nehru grant for work in India, and recently served as president of the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences.

“I am drawn to the values expressed in the University of Portland’s mission, the commitment to educating heart and mind,” she said, echoing the school’s devotion to the liberal arts. “The warmth and vibrancy of the UP community shines through the way faculty, staff, and students speak about their work.” Banschbach received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Pomona College and went on to get her doctorate from the University of Miami. In addition to her new position as dean, she will serve as a tenured professor in UP’s Department of Environmental Studies. Welcome to the Bluff, Dean Banschbach!