Roughrider Baseball:  Then and Now

~ The RHS baseball program began under the direction of Bud Jenniges when RHS was a 2A school.
~ Barry Belczyk then took over the program for two years in the mid 1980’s.
~ Mel Otero coached one year in the late 80’s before Coach Jenniges took over again.
~ Joe Chacon, who served as an assistant to Jenniges, then took over the program in 1992.
~ Paul Chacon coached four years beginning in 1999.
~ Alan Gibson has been the head coach since 2003.
~ The Riders' home field was located at Milliken Middle School before the field was constructed at its current site.
~ The field at the current site originally had an all-dirt infield, wooden dugouts and an outfield fence distance of only 300 feet in left, center and right.

~ In 1990, the local youth baseball organization known as the J-M Travelers, under the direction of Rick Judson, organized a project to construct the press box/concession stand behind home plate.

~ RHS Principal Mr. John Bruce helped promote and create a field renovation project in 1995 when a grass infield was installed and new dugouts were built. At that time, the field was also reconfigured to its current dimensions: 315’ in left, 320’ in right and 350’ in center.
~ Since 2003 the field has unofficially been named Roughrider Ballpark and undertaken many changes: Hall-Irwin donated the material and labor to provide a first-class infield playing surface, a fence standing 16 feet high was erected in the outfield, slats were inserted into the fence to create a closed-in ballpark feel, a bullpen mound was constructed adjacent to the visitors’ dugout, a retaining wall adjacent to the batting cages was built and donated by Power Motive Corp. employees and most recently a new two-mound bullpen for the home team was built outside the field down the left field line, and a new sound system was installed.

~ In the fall of 2009 the underground irrigation system was completely revamped. New sprinklers replaced the old, and sprinklers were added to provide the necessary coverage.