A ‘Game Changer’—New Baseball Clubhouse Unveiled

The Edwards-Moore Clubhouse at Borleske Stadium opened to the Whitman College Blues and Walla Walla Sweets on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

“This new clubhouse is a game changer for our student-athletes and for our baseball program,” said Director of Athletics Kim Chandler in thanking donors and welcoming a hardy crowd of alumni, community members, baseball families and fans to a dedication ceremony prior to the team’s doubleheader against the University of Puget Sound.

Impact for Student-Athletes

Baseball student-athletes toured the 3,300 square-foot facility ahead of the dedication ceremony, seeing the space for the first time.

"I was truly excited to see the new clubhouse,” says student-athlete Brandon Ting ’25. “When we finally got to see it for the first time, my expectations were surpassed. It is just awesome."

The student-athletes’ new facility features flexible team space, a spacious locker room, a media and recruiting space, and a training room.

Head Coach Brian Kitamura ’10 shares his team’s enthusiasm for this new space.

“The Edwards-Moore Clubhouse is an incredible place that our student-athletes will call home for years to come. It elevates our baseball program and Whitman Athletics to a whole new level and will positively impact all aspects of our program, from recruiting to the lifelong relationships that our players build with one another,” Kitamura says.

“We are extremely grateful and thankful to everyone who has helped to make the clubhouse become a reality.”

The clubhouse is made possible by gifts from alumni and families through the Upward Together campaign that has raised $163 million to date.

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Celebrating the Clubhouse & Progress of Whitman Athletics

Chandler’s remarks at the dedication ceremony preceded those of Walla Walla Sweets General Manager Cody Miller, lead project donor John Stanton ’77, President Sarah Bolton, and Jock Edwards ’66 and Jim Moore ’66, for whom the facility is named.

Noting particular pride in the baseball program now competing for a Northwest Conference championship, Stanton, who is the Chairman of the Seattle Mariners, celebrated the enhancement of athletics at Whitman. “This facility is a continuation of progress Whitman has made over the past twenty years in investing in its athletics program and in the student-athlete experience,” Stanton said.

The opening of the clubhouse builds on the October 2023 dedication of James Hayner Field, a new FieldTurf competition and training surface for varsity lacrosse and soccer. Other recent investments in athletics include the renovation of Sherwood Athletic Center; the creation of Baker Ferguson Fitness Center and Harvey Pool; new outdoor tennis courts; and the hiring of assistant coaches.

“I want to express my deepest thanks to John Stanton and Terry Gillespie [Parent ’18] for their lead gift in helping us realize this outstanding new facility for the Blues and the Sweets,” said President Bolton.

“John and Terry’s philanthropy for Whitman has transformed our student experience through investments in faculty and the academic program, athletics, and residential life. We can’t thank John and Terry enough for all that they do.”

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Honoring Legacies of Service

The clubhouse name on the building’s exterior was unveiled amid breezy conditions during the dedication ceremony to honor Edwards and Moore, who were baseball teammates and co-captains of the 1966 team before going on to fulfill lifetimes of service to the college.

Both are Whitman Emeriti Trustees, with Edwards serving on the board from 1988–1996 and Moore from 2013–2023. They also co-founded the W Club along with their dear friends and baseball teammates George Osborne ’66 and Charlie Stookey ’66.

Edwards recalled growing up in Walla Walla and watching the “big boys” play baseball at Borleske before competing on the field himself. “When I come to Borleske, it is like walking into a sacred place—with a sense of coming home,” said Edwards. “Life has been a disjointed journey … but it is a journey that I would not trade for anything in the world—largely because of Jim, Charlie and George.”

The author of a forthcoming book on the history of Whitman Athletics, Moore reflected on the evolution of athletics competition and the timeless benefits to Blues student-athletes.
Moore said, “I believe athletics competition teaches what it means to be a member of a highly functioning team, the importance of individual discipline in the team setting, the value of optimism and positive morale, the value and importance of not giving up—grit, I call it—and how to deal with loss … and success, and many other things.”

The Edwards-Moore Clubhouse interior features the Lars Johnson Locker Room, named in memory of Lars Johnson ’75 through the generosity of W Club President Casey Mickelson ’75 and Lynn Kamman Mickelson ’75 and Karl ’75 and Michelle Quackenbush. Lars was represented at the dedication by his widow Polly Cowen Johnson ’77, son Anders Johnson and sister Patta Johnson.

The Helen McAuslan Logan-Schneider Training Room recognizes the estate gift of Helen McAuslan Logan-Schneider ’55, who was represented by her son-in-law and grandson, Dale and Andy Bethel. The John and Susan Blackmon Coaches Locker Room recognizes a gift from W Club board members John ’79 and Susan Blackmon.

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A New Look

The Edwards-Moore Clubhouse features floor-to-ceiling images and graphic designs telling the story of the history of Whitman baseball. A sign of what community members and fans can expect to see at other Whitman athletics facilities, the clubhouse environmental design was led by Whitman’s Director of Creative Strategy and Operations Ryan Miller Barnes.

Building on Success

Coach Kitamura has led the Blues to climb ever higher in the Northwest Conference (NWC) standings since taking over the program in 2015. With an overall season record of 16-9 and 10-5 in league play, the Blues are competing for the 2024 conference crown, aiming to add to their 2019 NWC Championship and NCAA Division III tournament appearance.

The Walla Walla Sweets, which also call Borleske Stadium home and will use the Edwards-Moore Clubhouse, are a collegiate summer baseball team competing in the West Coast League (WCL). The Sweets have earned robust fan support from the Walla Walla and Whitman community since their inaugural 2010 season and often feature Whitman student-athletes on their roster. During the 2023 season, Ben Parker ’23 won the WCL batting title as a member of the Sweets.