EC Baseball to hold annual induction ceremony

Eau Claire (WQOW) — Monday night, the Eau Claire Baseball Hall of Fame will hold its annual induction ceremony and banquet.

New this year is a team champions plaque, which will honoring those teams to have won titles at all levels of Eau Claire baseball.

That includes one of the most recent championship teams, Eau Claire North’s WIAA Division 1 state champs from 2011.  Huskies head coach Bob Johnson says the memories of that title are still very fresh, and he’s looking forward to re-connecting with many of the players and coaches.

“I just see such a deep, rich tradition of baseball in Eau Claire,” says Johnson, “for us to get this honor, is pretty special for the coaching staff, our players, and certainly the student body and all the parents of the high school that celebrated with us back in 2011.”

Also being recognized on Monday, the 2002 Eau Claire Regis Ramblers.  That team won the school’s first-ever WIAA state championship by taking the Division 3 crown.  Current Eau Claire Cavaliers manager Mark McHorney coached that group of Ramblers to the state title.

“Just to be considered, I think, is an honor,” McHorney says, “and actually to have the team go in, ultimately, we talk all this time about team sports, whether it’s football, baseball, basketball, we talk about a team sport, so to be recognized as a team is highly significant.”

Tickets are still available for the banquet.  Those can be purchased at the Eau Claire Parks & Recreation Department, located at Hobbs Ice Center, in Eau Claire.

The Eau Claire Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Dinner is set for Monday, January 28, at the Florian Gardens.  Cocktail hour begins at 5:00 P.M., with the dinner starting at 6:00 P.M., and the program getting underway at 7:00 P.M.  Former Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals reliever Lee Smith is the keynote speaker.  News 18 Sports Director Bob Bradovich will be the master of ceremonies.

Story by: WQOW 18 News in Eau Claire