VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – It was a perfect June night for baseball. Sunshine, blue skies and a few clouds on Monday June 17th. Just the way it was supposed to be for the first little league baseball game played on Sam Noeske Field. One of the clouds even looked like a ballplayer ready to take the field. More than likely Sam.
Sam’ s Field is located next to Washington Elementary School in Valley City and bears the name of Sam Noeske. Sam, the son of Amy and Jerry Noeske, passed away in August of 2017 at the age of 11. Sam played many sports but, according to Sam’s dad Jerry Noeske, having his name on a baseball field is fitting.
Jerry says the naming of the field started with a conversation with Washington Elementary Principal Chad Lueck.
Principal Lueck says there were already plans for renovating the field but not as a baseball field.
Then Jerry and Amy Noeske approached him about doing something in memory of Sam. And Lueck says the project took off.
Sam would have been a sixth grader at Washington in the 2017-2018 school year. So it was a tough start to the school year for all involved. Lueck says a fundraiser was already in the works for Sam and the ball field was a perfect place to spend that money in Sam’s name.
Lueck says there will be a field dedication later this summer when the signage is complete.
The number 11 has a special place in this story to. Sam age was 11 years, 11 months and 11 days at the time of his passing.
Jerry Noeske made trips to Shakopee, Minnesota to bring back limestone for the infield. CR Excavating did the leveling and spreading of the limestone. How many loads of limestone did it take you ask? What else 11.
(photos provided by Amy and Jerry Noeske and BMW Photography)
