He never got a hit, made a diving catch, or struck anybody out, but despite all that, Charles Hutson has been vital to the recent resurgence of the Oberlin College baseball team.
Hutson and his wife Vicki were generous supporters of the baseball program as they enjoyed watching their son Andrew’s career blossom from 2012-15.
Spearheading one of the largest parent-donor groups in the history of Oberlin College athletics, Hutson helped raise nearly $700,000 over the past four years to completely revitalize Dill Field.
Since 2011, Dill Field has been equipped with a press box, backstop, chair-back stadium-style seating, and a full turf infield. Through these improvements, the field is now one of the best in the country at the NCAA Division III level.
Hutson’s driving force to enhance the facility can be directly tied to the team’s improvement on the field. These upgrades have provided Head Coach Adrian Abrahamowicz an advantage when targeting top-tier recruits and also gives the team an opportunity to practice outside more and play more games.
In two of the last four seasons, the Yeomen baseball team qualified for the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, claiming its first-ever NCAC title and NCAA Tournament berth in the spring of 2015. The conference title was the first for any male sports program since Oberlin joined the NCAC in 1984.
Hutson’s generosity has helped build a foundation for success within the baseball program that will be carried on for years to come.
