SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Slippery Rock University's council of trustees recently approved a naming resolution to honor SRU baseball head coach Jeff Messer during its quarterly business meeting.
 
The council approved to name the playing field at Jack Critchfield Park as "Messer Field" in recognition of pledged philanthropic support of the SRU baseball team by alumni and friends to honor Messer. The field and stadium collectively is now named "Messer Field at Jack Critchfield Park."
 
Alumni from the baseball team have embarked on a $100,000 fundraising campaign in support of the Messer Field Naming project that will support the program and its student athletes.
 
One of the most decorated coaches in Division II history, Messer has compiled a 1,154-760-5 overall record during his accomplished career at The Rock.
 
A 2023 American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, Messer currently ranks 11th in Division II history for wins in a career as well as being the third winningest active coach in DII.  
 
Messer, already the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's all-time winningest coach, is a seven-time PSAC Coach of the Year who has led SRU to 30 conference tournament berths, the NCAA Tournament on 13 occasions and four College World Series appearances.
 
Under his guidance, 13 Slippery Rock student-athletes have been selected in the MLB draft with dozens of others also signing professional contracts in various independent leagues across the nation.
 
All told, Messer has had just four losing seasons in his first 40 years at The Rock. Messer enters his 41st season leading a team coming off a solid 2025 in which The Rock went 31-19 overall and qualified for the PSAC Tournament with a 16-12 Western Division record.
 
Jack Critchfield Park is named in honor of Dr. Jack Critchfield, a 1955 Rock graduate and former Rock baseball pitcher. Dr. Critchfield and his wife, Mary, in appreciation for the opportunity he received to attend college, made a $500,000 donation to SRU in May 2000.
 
Grand opening ceremonies for "The Jack" were held on April 20, 2002. The event attracted 1,256 fans, which at the time was the second largest crowd to attend an NCAA Division II regular-season baseball game.
 
Jack Critchfield Park underwent a major renovation in the spring of 2020 to become one of the finest on-campus baseball facilities in the country with the addition of an artificial playing surface that now bears Messer's name.
 
Slippery Rock has gone 68-37 (.648) at Critchfield Park since its renovation.
 
 


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