OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma City University has added the name "Denney Crabaugh Field" to its baseball facilities in honor of the long-time baseball coach who led the program for 34 years. The facility will now be known as Denney Crabaugh Field at Jim Wade Stadium.
Crabaugh passed away in 2022, leaving a legacy of excellence in competition and mentorship outside of it. He directed Oklahoma City to a 1,601-493-2 record, collecting victory No. 1,600 in 2022 in the NAIA Championship Opening Round's Oklahoma City Bracket. Crabaugh led OCU to 14 NAIA World Series appearances, 14 50-win seasons, four trips to the national title game and the 2005 national championship.
Crabaugh coached 92 all-Americans, 150 future professionals, 71 Major League Baseball draftees, 83 NAIA scholar-athletes, 21 CoSIDA academic all-Americans and eight national player of the year award winners. Five OCU alumni coached by Crabaugh reached the major leagues, including 2006 National League batting champion Freddy Sanchez.
The proposal for the field naming was overwhelmingly approved during the OCU Board of Trustees' January meeting.
"It's hard to separate the words 'OCU Baseball' and 'Denney Crabaugh.' They really are synonymous," said OCU's director of athletics, Corey Bray. "We are delighted that the field where he molded so many impressive young men will carry his name."
A dedication and celebration ceremony for Denney Crabaugh Field will take place later this season. Date and time will be announced once details are finalized.
The 2024 OCU baseball team will host its first games on the newly named field this weekend against Clarke (Iowa) with a double-header on Friday and a single game on Saturday. Start times are 12 p.m. each day. The Stars (3-0) opened the season off-campus last week on the artificial turf at Piedmont High School with a three-game sweep of Louisiana-Alexandria.
Single-game and season tickets are now on sale for the 2023 season, and can be purchased by visiting this link - OCU Athletic Tickets. Gate prices are $10 for standard general admission, $8 for seniors (65 and older), and $7 for ages 5-high school and non-OCU students. A $90 season ticket is available, which represents a $100 savings over single-game, standard GA pricing. As with all campus athletic events, OCU students, faculty and staff are free with their university ID card.
