Oregon dedicates field at PK Park to Bob Kilkenny
- Updated: May. 11, 2025, 4:51 p.m.
- |Published: May. 10, 2025, 9:12 a.m.
The field at PK Park, seen during the 2023 NCAA Super Regional, was named for Bob Kilkenny before Friday's game.Naji Saker for The Oregonian/OregonLive
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EUGENE — Pat Kilkenny is synonymous with Oregon baseball. The former UO athletic director’s name is literally on the stadium.
Kilkenny was instrumental in restoring the baseball program after a 27-year hiatus and credits his father, Bob, with instilling a work ethic and love of sports.
Bob Kilkenny was a wheat farmer from Heppner and though he briefly attended UO, his five children — Russell, Patrick, Kelly, John, and Kevin — each became Ducks.
In August 2008, Bob Kilkenny was aboard a John Deere excavator for the ground breaking of PK Park. Bob died in May 2016, but like his son, he will be tied to the program, which officially dedicated Bob Kilkenny Field at PK Park before Friday’s series opener against Washington.
“My dad was there every step of the way,” Pat Kilkenny said. “Look where we are now; we have college baseball fans in Eugene. Those didn’t really exist before. ... It never gets old making your dad proud.”
A logo featuring five blades of wheat — symbolizing each of Bob’s children — is on the outfield fence and behind home plate. The Ducks are wearing the logo on their helmets for the weekend series. Each base at PK Park features the logo.
No. 5 Oregon won Friday’s game 5-0 in front of 3,866, including the entire Kilkenny family, who took part in a pregame ceremony.
“To have the whole family here, we gave the game ball to Pat obviously, in honor of Bob and what the family wanted to do for that great legacy,” Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski said.
