MONROE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — One baseball field in Monroe Township is bringing more than home runs to the community — it's bring a sense of remembrance.
The New Richmond Youth Sports Association dedicated a baseball field Saturday to the three young brothers, who were killed in June 2023. Their father, Chad Doerman, is accused of the murders.
The ball fields near Monroe Elementary School are where memories of the Doerman brothers — Clayton, Hunter and Chase — still live on. Family members, teammates, coaches and community members all came together to keep the boys' legacies alive through the dedication of "Field 4."
Kristin Bennett, the president of the New Richmond Youth Sports Association, said the community loves the Doerman boys dearly and continues to hold them in their hearts.
"We are here to celebrate who they were and how they played ball, and to remind others of how important it is to just go out have fun, smile and enjoy what you're doing " Bennett said.
Other than the field dedication, Bennett said the brothers also had their jerseys retired and hung at the field.
"Yeah, number 99 with Clayton, 7 with Hunter and Chase is always the number one fan, he was always on the sidelines, digging in the dirt, playing in the rocks," she said. "... We can't just retire their jerseys, we have to retire being the number one fan for Chase because he matters too."
Dwayne Kuhn, Clayton's former baseball coach, remembered the 7-year-old as a great teammate but also a jokester who loved to have fun.
Kuhn said it feels like there is a "bit of a hole" on the baseball field with Clayton's absence but his presence isn't forgotten. Clayton's number, and the initials of all three brothers, are on the shirts of the players in remembrance, he said.
"The support that everyone is showing is obviously helping us get through this and I've said multiple times in the past that this isn't anything that we're ever going to get over," Kuhn said. "It's just something that we're going to have to continue to move through and get through it. The love and support that everybody has shown is amazing."
Following the field dedication, the sports association held a fundraiser and hosted the CHC Memorial East Region All-Star games, which Bennett said haven't been held since 2019. The all-star games had players from all teams in multiple age divisions participate.
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