WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The West Plains Area Dugout Club announced today a transformational gift from Jim and Beth Peters of West Plains to support the construction of an outdoor athletics complex that will benefit the local community.
The Peters family partnered with the West Plains Area Dugout Club, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2023 to promote and support baseball in the region. Through this partnership, property has been secured at 1410 Bill Virdon Boulevard .
“The Dugout Club was established to support and strengthen the baseball community in our area,” said Robbie Crites, co-founder of the Dugout Club. “There are few things that teach life lessons as well as the game of baseball, and we are excited to provide a facility where families can gather and enjoy those lessons together. It has been a pleasure working with Jim and Beth, and we are deeply grateful for their generosity, which will help continue West Plains’ rich baseball tradition.”
In honor of their late parents—Jim and Nell Peters and Curtis and Julia Anna Taber—the Peters family has made a significant contribution to support the purchase of property for the complex. This gift marks a major step toward a dedicated home for the Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Baseball and Softball programs and will serve as a catalyst for future growth in MSU-WP athletics.
“Beth and I feel certain this gift—given in honor of our parents, all educators—will be only one of many, all in support of a most important community asset, MSU-WP,” Jim Peters said. “Athletics are a wonderful by-product of any institution. They help provide an identity for both the university and its students. We’re happy to be a part of this much-needed project.”
Dr. Dennis Lancaster, chancellor of MSU-WP, expressed deep appreciation for the Peters family’s vision and generosity.
“We are incredibly grateful to Jim and Beth Peters for their generous gift to the West Plains Dugout Club, and for their shared belief in the power of education, athletics, and community,” Lancaster said. “We also thank the Dugout Club for thinking of Grizzly Athletics and their commitment to providing a space where fans, families, and student-athletes can come together to enjoy the great traditions of collegiate baseball and softball.”
Initial plans include having a practice facility for Grizzly Baseball ready by the start of the fall semester. Phase two of the project will include space for Grizzly Softball, with long-term plans calling for a comprehensive outdoor sports complex that supports both programs.
Support for the project is growing. “The Dugout Club is excited to move forward with plans to develop the new sports complex that we intend to make available to the Grizzly Softball and Grizzly Baseball teams from MSU-WP upon its completion,” said Crites. “We believe this facility has the potential to enhance student life and athletic opportunities, and we look forward to continued conversations with the University as the project takes shape.”
MSU-WP leaders and athletics staff echoed that excitement. “This is exciting news for the community, including Grizzly Athletics,” said Rachel Peterson, Director of Grizzly Athletics. “We’ve been fortunate to practice and compete at facilities offered by the City of West Plains, the West Plains R-VII, and Thayer R-II School Districts, and we’re incredibly thankful for those partnerships. Jim and Beth’s lead gift to the Dugout Club has created a wave of excitement. Current and future student-athletes and the community will be positively impacted by the generosity of the Peters family, the leadership of Robbie and Lynn Crites with the Dugout Club, and the hundreds of supporters who are stepping up to get these programs off the ground.”
Lancaster emphasized the significance of this milestone not only for athletics, but for the region. “This project is about much more than building a baseball and softball complex,” he said. “It’s about strengthening our sense of place, investing in our students’ experience, and further establishing MSU-WP as a hub for opportunity, community pride, and regional impact. This is a legacy-building moment, and we are honored to be part of it.”
More information about the West Plains Area Dugout Club can be found at wpdugoutclub.com. To help with this project , please contact Robbie Crites at westplainsareadugoutclub@gmail.com .
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