Lamar Community College Baseball Repeats History

Lamar Community College Head Baseball Coach Scott Crampton stands with two generations of LCC Runnin’ Lopes baseball players, Donny Ortiz, Jr. and Sr. Ortiz, Sr. played for the Runnin’ Lopes in 1992-94 before transferring to Metro State to complete his baseball career. Jr. becomes a Runnin’ Lope this week.

In 1992 Donny Ortiz came to Lamar Community College to play baseball under the direction of Scott Gadd. One year later, a young Scott Crampton took over as the head coach for the Runnin’ Lopes. After the 1993-94 season Ortiz graduated from LCC with his Associate of Arts and transferred to Metro State University to continue his baseball career.

Donny Sr., who played outfield for the Runnin’ Lopes, has kept in contact with Coach Crampton since he graduated in 1994. Donny Jr. grew to be a fan of the Runnin’ Lopes as his father brought him to Lamar to watch LCC games, sit in the dugout, and interact with the players, and play in the alumni games. A recent graduate of Columbine High School, Donny Jr. will make history this fall at Merchants’ Park as he will play second base and infield for the same coach for which his father played.

“They have been one of the top hard working junior college teams in the country and I want to be a part of the winning tradition,” commented Ortiz, Jr. “And of course to follow in the footsteps of the man that inspires me to become a better ball player every day, my hero, my dad.”

Coincidentally, Ortiz, Jr. will receive a Wade Parker Memorial Scholarship for the 2014-2015 academic year. This $2,000 scholarship is funded by generous contributions from Crop Risk Advisors of Lamar and community members and honors former Runnin’ Lope Wade Parker who perished with 18 of his fellow firefighters while fighting an Arizona wildfire last summer. Sophomore Nate Dominguez will also receive a Wade Parker Memorial Scholarship.

There is still time to enroll in fall courses on campus or online. For more information about how to begin a course of study at LCC this fall or spring, contact Brenda Brown at 719.336.1580 or information@lamarcc.edu or see www.lamarcc.edu.