SFCC dedicates new softball facility

Sedalia, Mo.-State Fair Community College (SFCC) officially dedicated the new on campus softball field to SFCC and community supporter Ron Ditzfeld with a first pitch ceremony held Sunday, April 19 on the new Ron Ditzfeld Field.

Ditzfeld, a 1966 graduate of Smith-Cotton High School, served two years in the U.S. Army at Fort Bragg before joining his family's business, Ditzfeld Transfer, Inc., where he became president in 1996. A devoted member of the Sedalia community, he served on numerous boards, including the SFCC Foundation, and was actively involved in organizations that supported education, youth programs, and community development. In recognition of his impact, Ron received numerous honors, including the Freedom Torch Award, Smith-Cotton's Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Missouri Community College Association Award of Distinction.

Ron and his sons established the Ron, Steve & Sam Ditzfeld Endowed Athletic Scholarship in 2013. They created scholarships to further show their support of the college's athletics, particularly to the women's softball players, to ensure they receive a quality education at State Fair Community College thereby improving their opportunities for success off the field. Ron passed in December of 2020 leaving behind a legacy of community support and a love for State Fair softball.

"Ron really helped spearhead the athletic complex, as well as starting new sports here at SFCC," said SFCC Athletic Director Darren Pannier. "He was a pillar of our community, whose legacy continues to build today. In 2015, when I started moving forward with the vision to add sports and the complex to the west side of the Fred E. Davis Multipurpose Center in order to bring all the sports on campus, if not for Ron's support and knowledge, a lot of this might not have come to fruition."

SFCC presented the families with framed jerseys to commemorate the occasion. Steve threw his pitch to his daughter Taylor, who is a current SFCC instructor, a graduate of SFCC, and former member of the Roadrunner softball team. Sam was joined by his son Lincoln, who is a graduate of the SFCC CDL program. 

A special thanks went to SFCC Athletic Director, Darren Pannier, whose leadership and persistence helped drive this project forward. Another thank you went to the State Fair Community College Foundation for their tireless efforts in fundraising and building the support necessary to make this dream possible.

Recognition was also given to the members of the State Fair Community College Board of Trustees who were in attendance: President Patty Wood, Vice President Richard Parker, and Treasurer Justin Hubbs, alongside the President of the College Dr. Brent Bates.

SFCC also thanked MMTH (Mammoth) Construction for their outstanding work in bringing this facility to life.

"Today is a huge day for the program," said head coach Michele Rupard. "It was a big deal for the college in general. I would also like to thank all the faculty and staff members, supporters, and alumni who came out today for the dedication of this facility. It gets people excited about what State Fair Community College is doing. It opens up new partnerships and new opportunities within the community for us."

A second ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Sedalia Parks and Recreation athlete, Philip. Philip is a member of the Diamond of Dreams program, hosted here in Sedalia. He is an exceptional athlete and also participates in Special Olympics Missouri. He is also part of the State Special Olympics athlete leadership committee, Special Olympics Central Area Leadership Council, and is in the Athlete Leadership Program for Special Olympics.

"It is such a special day," said State Fair Community College President Dr. Brent Bates. "We are honoring a great friend of the college, the late Ron Ditzfeld. He was an important man in our community and did so much for our entire community, including SFCC. We are really proud to have his name on our softball field to honor him forever. This is a beautiful facility that will serve our college and community for years and give our women's softball program an opportunity to excel. We are really proud of it."

David Rohrbach

SFCC Athletics