March 27, 2002
WACO, Texas - It all began in the spring of 2001 when Joe Coleman of Houston and John Minton of Tyler decided to organize a 50th reunion in 2002 for the Baylor freshman baseball team of 1952.
They settled on the dates of March 8 and 9, when the Bears would be playing an important three-game series with Nebraska, the team that for several years has that either finished first in Big 12 Conference play or won the conference tournament.
The time and place determined, Coleman and Minton began trying to find their 1952 teammates and everyone else - including some fans - who had a hand in making that phase of their Baylor experience so rewarding.
Twenty members of the team were located, but sadly it was discovered that one, second baseman Cecil "Nick" Overby, was deceased. Eight of the former players had continued to be regular patrons of Baylor sporting events since leaving the campus, but the majority had not returned to Baylor in four decades or more. They were in for a number of pleasant surprises and one shocker - the frigid weather that accompanied them to Waco.
Team members who came in for the Friday and Saturday activities included Bob Beago of Littleton, Co., Jim Bradley of Groesbeck, Jerry Dykeman of Port Neches, Wayne McGee of Maggie Valley, N.C., Joe Melugin of Gordonville, Sonny McCraw of Mathis, Ed Brawner of Houston and, of course, Coleman and Minton.
Sid Smith of Groesbeck, the Rev. Wayne Runnels of Harker Heights and Jack Haney of Huntsville were hoping to participate but each had to cancel his travel plans.
The reunion opened with a team meeting at the Clarion Hotel and then the participants and wives went to Baylor Ballpark where they watched the Friday night game from the relatively warm box of Baylor Athletic Director Tom Stanton. The worst part of the evening was the Bears' 15-4 loss to the Cornhuskers, who - accustomed to frigid March weather - played as if the cold was not a factor.
Weather conditions on Saturday cancelled golf plans for all except Beago and Minton, who showed up for their tee times at Baylor's new Bear Ridge Club. The others toured the campus and a few visited the facilities at Floyd Casey Stadium where Roger Goree, the "B" Association's liaison to the Baylor Athletic Department, explained the many improvements made to the home of Baylor Bear football over the past several years.
Arriving again at Baylor Ballpark, the former players and their spouses were greeted by team business manager Kahlil Coltrain who took them on a tour of the state-of-the-art collegiate baseball stadium. After being presented with commemorative baseballs, caps and T-shirts as reunion souvenirs, Pete Rowe treated the group to a catfish fry in the Mickey Sullivan Room. Pete had been an Assistant Track Coach for years before changing to a position in the administration where he has been a stadium internal operations manager. But he has always been a "Gourmet Chef" serving lots of meals to Baylor athletic functions.
Prior to Saturday's Baylor-Nebraska game, the 1952 players were introduced on the field and then watched Coleman throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Everyone agreed Coleman must have set the right tone for his beloved Bears since they went on to win, 2-1, and were victorious again in Sunday's game by a 9-6 score.
