UCC Baseball Returns To Roseburg After 35 year Hiatus

The Umpqua Community College has a baseball team for the first time in 35 years. College baseball officially returns to Roseburg on February 22 at 1 p.m. at Bill Gray Legion Stadium at One Champion Field. The Riverhawks will play a doubleheader against Olympic College. One Champion Field was recently renovated with a new turf field, so the UCC games Saturday will be the first played on the turf. Jeremiah Robbins the UCC baseball head coach returns to the area after six years at Lewis Clark State College in Idaho. Robbins coached at Western Oregon University the eight years before he coached Lewis Clark State. Robbins also coached with the Dr. Stewarts as an assistant and as head coach from 2003-2004. He also coached at Douglas high school for a year, SWOCC for three years and Lane Community College for a season. “It’s a great opportunity for our local county and Roseburg kids to be a part of something,” Robbins said. “It’s something that’s been wanted around here for a long time. My former high school coach used to coach at UCC. It’s a huge honor for me. It’s exciting, there’s a buzz going on along with the new field. I know the community and feel like I know what they want on the baseball field and were going to try to represent that every day.” UCC will play in the Southern region of the Northwest Athletic Conference. “Our conference is very strong with eight teams so were diving right into the dogfight,” Robbins said. “We have high expectations it’s kind of neat we get to build this thing as we go through. It’s fun, it’s exciting and it’s a challenge but it’s very rewarding. An attitude of gratitude is what will continue to have. In our society it gets missed, going to college to play baseball, to play at the new field and facilities. We go out to try and do it the right way. How their (student athletes) developing is the most important thing. ” A $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to one lucky current or incoming student who fills out a raffle ticket at the scholarship both. Prices for entry to UCC games: $5 adults & children (11 and up) $3 Seniors (62 and up) Children 10 and under, UCC students and staff FREE UCC will also host Olympic College on Sunday in another doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.