STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — One of the most famous UWSP baseball stars is giving back to the program.
Jordan Zimmermann of the Detroit Tigers has announced his intentions to donate $500,000 to the Pointers for upgrades to University Field, representing the largest single contribution to the school’s athletics department in history.
“It’s a transformational gift,” said UWSP Director of Athletics Brian Duckworth. “My first gut reaction was ‘wow, thank you.’ He obviously understands the value of UW Stevens Point baseball, and we will do everything in our power to make his gift as impactful as possible.”
Duckworth says that means some long-overdue upgrades to University Field including a new scoreboard. A pro-style double barrel batting cage will also be installed, and improvements to both the backstop and outfield fencing will also be made. “It will really turn our field into high-level stadium feel, without the grandstand.”
In addition to those improvements, the facility will be re-named for Zimmermann, something Duckworth says the former second-round draft choice wouldn’t want but is still an important part of the gift.
“We’ll be able to walk our current, future, and past players out to the stadium and say ‘he threw right there on that hill, sixty feet six inches from that plate,’ and look at the career he had. He started the All-Star Game.”
While the gift may come as a surprise to some, both Duckworth and Baseball coach Jeremy Jirschele say Zimmermann has remained close to the program. Zimmermann lives in the area during the offseason and checks up on the team regularly.
“This is home for him, he loves the area,” said Jirschele. “He always has time to talk to some of our pitchers, our team, or just checks in to see how we are doing, he stays connected.”
Zimmermann’s wife Mandy also played softball for UWSP. Their gift to the program continues the momentum of the university’s “Then, Now & Forever: We Are Point Campaign,” which is scheduled to conclude on June 30. After surpassing the initial announced goal of $30 million last fall, this is a major boost toward the university’s stretch goal of $40 million.
“Jordan and Mandy are humble, they are about giving, they are about making an impact without the focus being on them. They want to make a difference because it’s the right thing to do,” added Duckworth.
Their gift comes during a time when the Board of Regents has been cutting back on funding for schools across the UW system, so Duckworth says philanthropy and alumni support is even more important. “Jordan’s gift resets the bar, and if we are going to continue to grow and invest in athletics we have to do it at a level that’s transformational.”
“In the state that we are at right now with funding, to be able to get a gift like that and have the support form our alumni… Words can’t explain how excited and grateful we are with that,” added Jirschele.
Zimmermann was a 2004 graduate of Auburndale High School, where he helped the Marshfield American Legion team to the state tournament that summer. He was named to the All-Tournament team that year and later was named MVP of the Wisconsin Legion Baseball All-Star game. He also played in the Northwoods League with the Eau Claire Express.
Zimmermann left UWSP after his Junior year in 2007 when he was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the second round. His Major League debut came in 2009 with the Nationals.
“We are grateful to the Zimmermann’s for their commitment to our student-athletes and to the Pointers baseball program,” added UW-Stevens Point Chancellor Bernie Patterson. “Their investment in our students and our community represents a powerful vote of confidence in UW-Stevens Point.”
