Over 100 people gathered at the Oaks Christian School softball field on March 2 as it was re-christened Peter Ackermann Field in honor of the Lions’ longtime softball coach who passed in December 2022. It was a fitting presentation on the second home game of the season against Newbury Park High School. The Panthers watched alongside the Lions in a special tribute, as Ackermann got his start in high school softball at the public school over 30 years ago.
Oaks Christian School staff, members of the media and friends of Peter Ackermann, as well as his daughter and granddaughter surrounded the diamond as Head of Athletics Dr. Brad Cook welcomed those in attendance and OCS' first Head of Athletics Jan Hethcock prayed over the field before first pitch.
Ackermann’s daughter, Christine, and her daughter, Samantha, were presented with a framed jersey by the team’s four seniors: Anahi Arreola, Justine Lambert, Liesl Osteen and Heaven Oliva. The jersey is a new, single-season jersey commissioned by the school to honor Ackermann, by spelling Oaks Christiann, with an added ‘N’ honoring the spelling of Ackermann’s last name. The jersey was numbered ‘22’ to represent his 22 years as head coach of the softball program.
A second jersey was framed and will be hung alongside the jerseys of Lions alumni from all sports who have made their way into the professional ranks of their sports.
Also presented was a large banner that reads “Peter Ackermann Field. In honor of his 22 years of servant-leadership to the Oaks Christian Softball Program.” The sign will hang for the remainder of this season before a more permanent marker is commissioned this summer.
In the game itself, the Lions defeated the Panthers 12-1. The Lions got four runs in the first, highlighted by Terianna Kelley’s three-run double. Two more runs were scored in the second, on back-to-back doubles from Arreola and Oliva. After getting another in the third, the Lions