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| Founded: 1891 Enrollment: 2,700 Played baseball since: 1960 Team name: Leopards School colors: Green and orange Home ballpark: Ben Hines Field Conference: SCIAC (NCAA Div. III) |
The University of La Verne was founded in present-day La Verne, Calif., in 1891 as Lordsburg College by members of the Church of the Brethren, a German branch of Christianity. When the town of Lordsborg changed its name to La Verne in 1917, the college followed suit, becoming La Verne College. In 1977, the school gained university status and adopted its current name.
La Verne College fielded its first intercollegiate baseball team in 1960. The Leopards played in the NAIA throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, playing in two NAIA World Series – winning in 1972. The next season, they moved up to NCAA Div. III and joined the SCIAC, where they still play. They won the NCAA Div. III College World Series in 1995.
Baseball Almanac lists nine former La Verne players who have made it to the Major Leagues. The first was longtime big league pitcher Ewell Blackwell, who was called up during World War II and won 82 games over 10 years with the Reds, Yankees and A’s. Dan Quisenberry amassed 244 saves over a 12-year career spent mostly with the Royals and Cardinals.
Home games are played at Campus West, at Ben Hines Field. Built in 2014, this 500-seat facility replace the previous Ben Hines Field on the main campus.
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