Baseball clubhouse dedicated in honor of Tim Belcher

From left, Rev. Mike Cheek ’82, Executive Director of Alumni and Major Gift; Tim Belcher; and Head Baseball Coach Keith Veale pose for a photo with the plaque honoring Belcher during the naming dedication of the baseball clubhouse.

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio — Mount Vernon Nazarene University celebrated the dedication of the Tim Belcher Clubhouse Saturday during the 2025 Homecoming & Family Weekend. The project was made possible through Phase One of the On Deck Campaign for Cougar Baseball.

The clubhouse — which features a modern locker room, a players’ lounge, and dedicated spaces for equipment management — represents the university’s commitment to providing elite resources for its student-athletes.

“This is a big day for our baseball program and our entire community,” said Chip Wilson, MVNU Athletic Director. “Tim Belcher exemplifies the values we strive to instill in our student-athletes — dedication, perseverance, and excellence both on and off the field. I’ve had a chance to watch what Tim did for his home community of Sparta, his generosity with his family there. To see the generosity here, this is really cool.”

Belcher, a 1983 alumnus of MVNC, enjoyed a distinguished 14-year Major League Baseball career pitching for seven teams. Belcher compiled a career record of 146-140 with an ERA of 4.16 and 1,519 strikeouts in 2442.2 innings. He was named The Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year in 1988 for the National League, while a member of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Belcher started Games One and Four, in which he picked up the win. His generous support has been instrumental in making this facility a reality.

“I’m deeply honored and humbled to have my name associated with this beautiful clubhouse,” said Belcher. “While I’m proud of what I was able to do professionally, when I left here, it brought a lot of recognition to this baseball program and this institution, and I’m proud of that too. Mount Vernon Nazarene gave me the foundation I needed to succeed in baseball and in life. … I’ve been in a lot of clubhouses in my life, obviously some good and some bad. That’s where your relationships are really formed and your team culture is built. You don’t really need bright, shiny new things to have good culture and build relationships. I understand that, but it sure helps with recruiting.”

The On Deck Campaign has received generous support from alumni, friends of the university, and members of the baseball community who share a commitment to excellence in collegiate athletics. Phase Two was announced at the dedication. It includes lights; turf infield; a backstop which includes a brick wall running from dugout to dugout; and new perimeter fencing.

NIGHT WITH NASHVILLE: BENEFITING COUGAR BASEBALL WITH THE HITS

In conjunction with the clubhouse dedication, MVNU hosted Night with Nashville: Benefiting Cougar Baseball with the Hits on Saturday night. The night, led by 1979 Cougar baseball alum Brian White, featured singer/songwriters Karyn Williams, Jesse Reeves and White singing hit songs they’ve written for Country and Christian artists. All proceeds went to the On Deck Campaign for Cougar Baseball.

For more on the On Deck Campaign, visit mvnu.edu/on-deck/.