Baseball

On January 20, Arizona State University honored former baseball coach Dr. Jim Brock by officially rededicating the baseball facility as Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. Hundreds of former ASU baseball players returned to Tempe for an alumni weekend to honor the man who coached Arizona State baseball for 23 years.

From 1972 to 1994, Brock led the Sun Devils to 1,100 wins, 13 College World Series appearances and two National Championships (1977 and 1981). He coached numerous major leaguers and All-Americans and left an indelible mark on Arizona State University Baseball.

Some of the many lives touched by Brock during his tenure at ASU shared their fondest memories at the event including Alvin Davis, who was a member of the 1981 national championship team and Tim Tyers, who covered ASU baseball for the Arizona Republic. Members of the Brock family were each presented with a plaque bearing Brock's number 33 jersey to commemorate the event.

After 23 years of coaching at ASU, Brock battled cancer throughout the 1994 season and passed away just days after the College World Series that year. Brock coached a handful of Sun Devil legends, including first-round draft picks Eddie Bane, Floyd Bannister, Barry Bonds and Mike Kelly. He was inducted into the ABCA College Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998 and was selected as the 1977 and 1981 NCAA Coach of the Year. Brock was an alumnus of Arizona State University, earning his a bachelor's, master's and doctorate degree here.

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Jim Brock’s family helped celebrate the dedication of Brock Ballpark on Jan. 20.