Nettleton Stadium is the site of many treasured memories, many of which have been made by members of the Chico State baseball program. They've dogpiled on its hallowed turf after conference and regional championships. They've celebrated walk-off wins between the first and second-base bag. They've broken long-held records.
They've laughed out there, bled out there, and even dreamed of playing in the big leagues out there. And they've walked out onto that green field for the very last time in their crisp, clean gameday uniform, just as 2019 Chico State seniors Andrew Lopez, Michael Lagier, Trenton Stowe, Dustin Miller, Myles Moran, William Curless, Brandon Hernandez, and Alex DeVito will do Sunday morning before capping a crucial four-game series against rival Sonoma State.
Andrew Lopez does not appear in the Senior
photo taken prior to the season, but he's shown
up all season long on the field for the Wildcats.
Like the two decades of Wildcats who came before them, they owe a debt of gratitude to the man for whom the stadium is named—Steve Nettleton—as do all baseball fans in the Chico area. His $2.5 million gift to build the stadium permanently changed Chico State baseball and baseball in the north valley.
We're celebrating it all—those Chico State seniors and the life and legacy of Steve Nettleton—this weekend. The series starts with a single game Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader will be a celebration of Steve Nettleton's life. The ceremony begins at 11:30 a.m. and first pitch is at noon. The public is encouraged to attend, admission is free, and the Chico State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be hosting a kids' sports carnival on the adjacent soccer field from 11-2.
Sunday is Senior Day. The Wildcats' seniors will be honored beginning at 11:30 a.m. and first pitch is scheduled for noon.
Chico State and Sonoma State are among eight teams in contention for the final four California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament bids. UC San Diego and Cal State Monterey Bay have clinched, but only 5.5 games separate third-place San Francisco State and 10
th-place Cal State East Bay with two weeks remaining in the season. Sonoma State (21-21, 19-18 CCAA) is in fourth place and Chico State (21-18, 17-17) is tied for sixth.
Steve Nettleton addresses the crowd during the opening ceremonies of the "Remember the Heat" baseball
game Saturday, August 11, 2007, at Nettleton Stadium.
