April 28, 2008
RUSTON, La. - Louisiana Tech's baseball complex will be formally rededicated as "J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park" on the first day of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, which begins May 22. The dedication is set to take place prior to the third game of the day, which is tentatively slated to begin at 7 p.m.
The name change, which permanently affixes the late Patterson's name to the ballpark where he coached for 23 years, was formally approved by the University of Louisiana System's Board of Supervisors in March.
On hand for the ceremony will be Patterson's two children, Tony Patterson and Lee Ann Teer. Also in attendance will be members of the J.C. Love family, WAC Commissioner Karl Benson, Louisiana Tech University President Dr. Dan Reneau, outgoing Athletics Director Jim Oakes, incoming Athletics Director Derek Dooley and several of "Gravy's" former players.
Patterson, who passed away on October 11, 2007, at age 73, was the all-time winningest coach in Bulldog baseball history, compiling a record of 741-462-2 from 1968 through 1990.
Patterson took the Bulldogs to seven NCAA Tournament appearances, the last coming in 1987. In 1974, Patterson had the Bulldogs just one game away from the College World Series.
He suffered only five losing seasons in his 23 years at the helm of the Tech baseball program and posted 40-win seasons five times. He was named conference Coach of the Year seven times and was named District VI Coach of the Year in 1974.
A 1958 graduate of Louisiana Tech, Patterson played football and baseball under legendary Bulldog coaches Joe Aillet and Berry Hinton, earning four football letters and two baseball letters. He went on to earn his master's degree from the University of Mississippi in 1961.
He began his coaching career in 1958 on the prep level at Ouachita Parish High School in Monroe, then took a job at Shreveport's Byrd High School in 1963. He joined the Tech athletic department in 1967 as an assistant football coach.
From 1968-78, Patterson took on the dual role of assistant football coach and head baseball coach before finally leaving the gridiron in 1979. He did, however, return to the football field as interim head coach for one game in 1979, leading the Bulldogs to a remarkable 13-10 victory over rival Northeast Louisiana (now known as UL-Monroe) in his only game as the head man.
He served for several years as Tech's associate athletic director, overseeing eligibility of athletes and working closely with NCAA compliance. On three occasions, he was asked to step in as the university's interim athletic director.
He acquired the nickname "Gravy" during his Shreveport prep coaching days and was better known by that name around campus during his tenure at Tech.
The baseball facility, which opened in 1971, was known as Tech Stadium until 1982. It was then named in honor of J.C. Love, a Ruston businessman who whole-heartedly supported the Tech baseball program and the university as a whole.
Tickets for the four-day tournament are available through the Tech ticket office by calling 318-257-3631. All season-ticket holders are entitled to admission to all tournament games.
