SEWARD, Neb. – Already a member of the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame, Eugene “Gene” Faszholz will take his place in the Nebraska Baseball Hall of Fame as one of seven 2020 inductees. The announcement was made by the Nebraska Baseball Hall of Fame in late 2019 and an induction ceremony is set to be held in Beatrice on Feb. 9.
A 1958 graduate of Concordia Teachers College, Faszholz received induction into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014. His complete bio appears below. The California native played eight seasons of professional baseball within the minor leagues. He later became a standout basketball player at Concordia and spent many years on the coaching staff for Bulldog baseball. A full listing of the 2020 Nebraska Baseball Hall of Fame inductees can be found HERE.
The induction banquet is Feb. 9 at Beatrice’s Country Cookin Restaurant and Event Center, 111 S. 8th Street. Doors will open for the social hour and museum tours at 3 p.m. with dinner/auctions/presentations beginning at 5.
Tickets may be obtained from any Nebraska Baseball HOF board member or by contacting Larry Bornschlegl at 402-469-4789 or lbornsch@gmail.com.
See www.nebaseballhof.org for more information.
Gene Faszholz Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame Bio
A U.S. Army veteran, Faszholz arrived at Concordia in 1956 and led the basketball team to a Central Church College Conference (CCCC) title in 1957. Then head coach Luther Scwich invited Faszholz to try out for the team. At the time, Faszholz was 26 years old and had not played basketball competitively in eight years. Serving as the team’s “floor general,” Faszholz earned all-conference honors in 1956-57. The next season the Bulldogs succeeded despite moving up to the larger Nebraska College Conference. Faszholz received honorable mention all-conference recognition in his final season on the hardwood.
Prior to his time at Concordia, Faszholz played eight seasons of professional baseball within the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Braves organizations. He produced a lifetime batting average of .307, was named the 1947 Rookie of the Year in the California State League and earned selection on four all-star teams. Because of his time playing professional baseball, the NAIA ruled that Faszholz was not eligible to play that sport collegiately. Faszholz eventually volunteered his time as an assistant for many years on the Concordia baseball staff.
Faszholz first coached in 1957 for Concordia High School Seward, guiding the basketball team to a 1957 conference title and state tournament qualification. His 1959 baseball team also reached the state tournament. He later coached Martin Luther High School in Greendale, Wis., from 1967-1992, winning five conference championships and reaching three state tournaments.
Gene earned a B.S. in education from what was then called Concordia Teachers’ College. He went on to receive his MEd from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1970. He is married to Marian Elaine Faszholz. They have three grown children who all became teachers – Jeanette Lynn Niemann, Karen Leslie Greve and Gary William Faszholz. Gene is a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Seward.