Lc’s Baseball Diamond Renamed For Ex-Coach Weitz

Pete Weitz may have been surprised when Lewis and Clark renamed its baseball diamond at Hart Field after him, but no one else was.

“It’s something you can’t explain,” said Weitz. “It’s just a great feeling.”

The field was dedicated to Weitz before the start of LC’s game against Mead last Tuesday.

The idea came from Jim Travis, the Tigers’ current varsity coach and longtime friend of Weitz.

“When he stopped coaching three years ago, I knew that I was going to rename the field after him. He didn’t know until yesterday,” Travis said last week.

Travis has known Weitz since 1971, when he was a junior and varsity player for LC. Travis eventually came back and took over the head coaching position in 1983, and Weitz was an assistant for him.

“He’s always been supportive,” said Travis.

Weitz is retiring this year after 37 years of teaching chemistry and coaching. He started his career at LC in 1961 and took over the baseball program the same year.

Weitz wife, Nancy, along with Travis, made sure Weitz was going to attend LC’s last regular-season game. Weitz wasn’t even suspicious when he arrived at the field and saw old friends, former players and colleagues.

Principal Bill Anderson had to point out the sign to Weitz.

“I kind of lost it for a minute,” Weitz said after walking over to the sign and seeing it for the first time.

“It was a big surprise,” he said. “It really is kind of a humbling experience.

“It really is an honor.”

, DataTimes