HR0725 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0725 LRB103 40388 ECR 72680 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the members of the 1974 Western Illinois University (WIU) baseball team on the 50th anniversary of their incredible season; and

WHEREAS, WIU has had an intercollegiate baseball team since the 1903-1904 season; and

WHEREAS, In 1974, the WIU baseball team broke the school record for most victories in a single season, finishing with 31 wins and 12 losses, a record that went unbroken for 32 years; and

WHEREAS, As a result of its unprecedented season, the 1974 WIU baseball team received a NCAA at-large bid to play in the 1974 NCAA Mid-East Regional Tournament and advanced to the championship game, only one game away from the Division II College World Series; and

WHEREAS, Over the course of the season, the 1974 WIU baseball team set or broke 30 team or individual records, many of which remain unbeaten to this day; and

WHEREAS, The 1974 WIU baseball team was led by Dick Pawlow, who oversaw WIU baseball from 1970 to 1998, becoming the school's longest-serving head coach; and

WHEREAS, The 1974 WIU baseball team, one of the greatest teams in WIU Athletics history, was inducted into the WIU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019; and

WHEREAS, The 1974 WIU baseball team possesses several inductees to the WIU Athletics Hall of Fame, including pitcher and team captain Ed Gvazdinskas in 1994, second baseman Dennis Mantick in 2003, and head coach Dick Pawlow in 2004; and

WHEREAS, The members of the 1974 WIU baseball team will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of their successful season during the WIU Baseball Alumni Weekend in Macomb from May 3 to May 5, 2024; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the members of the 1974 Western Illinois University (WIU) baseball team on the 50th anniversary of their incredible season; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be given to the players and coaches of the 1974 WIU baseball team.