Clark College baseball coach Mark Magdaleno speaks in honor of former pitcher Grant Fisher on Saturday at Walker Stadium in Portland. Behind Magdaleno is Fisher's family, including wife Caitlin and daughter Ellagrace. Fisher was killed on Jan. 29 when his vehicle was hit by an allegedly impaired driver. (Micah Rice/The Columbian)
PORTLAND — There’s a baseball field in Heaven and Grant Fisher is on the mound.
Fisher’s legacy as a father, husband and ballplayer lives on. That was shown by the hundreds of relatives, friends and teammates who gathered for a tribute to the former Clark College pitcher on Saturday at Walker Stadium, home of the West Coast Baseball League’s Portland Pickles.
The memorial was baseball-themed, with each of nine “innings” featuring a speaker. They lauded Fisher’s love of family, his love of baseball, his faith and his work ethic that propelled him to success with Clark from 2016-17 and then at Western Oregon University.
Fisher, 23, was killed on Jan. 29 while driving to work on Highway 26 near Boring, Ore. His vehicle was rear-ended at high speed by a driver who faces multiple charges including DUII, criminally negligent homicide and manslaughter.
Fisher’s wife, Caitlin, and 5-month-old daughter, Ellagrace, were presented with a framed No. 27 Clark College jersey by Penguins coach Mark Magdaleno.
Saturday, Magdaleno and Clark athletic director Laura LeMasters announced that the school would retire No. 27 in Fisher’s memory.
“Grant Fisher was the consummate teammate, not just for us but for Grant High School and Western Oregon,” Magdaleno said. “He was one of the things that make good teams great.”
Fisher’s influence went well beyond the mound, where as a sophomore he led Clark in innings pitched and had a 3.55 ERA.
“He was a positive influence in the clubhouse,” Magdaleno said. “People sometimes think about the performance on the field and think about chemistry, they don’t realize that chemistry starts in the clubhouse. He was a leader there and a leader on the field. He was just a tough, tough guy who did everything the right way and a kind guy off the field. He was a perfect individual as far as a student athlete and a great teammate.”
