Wind Surge to wear patch on jerseys honoring late owner

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The man credited as the driving force behind the return of affiliated baseball in Wichita is being honored by the team that next week, will finally take the field at Riverfront Stadium.

Wind Surge Managing General Partner Lou Schwechheimer died last year from complications of COVID-19. Due to the pandemic, the 62-year-old didn’t get the chance to see Wichita’s new MLB-affiliated club make its debut at its new stadium.

In Schwechheimer’s memory, the Wind Surge will wear “Lou” patches on their jerseys for the entire 2021 season, which kicks off Tuesday, May 4 on the road. The Wind Surge will make their Wichita debut next Tuesday, May 11, against Amarillo. The first pitch for Wichita’s new team at Riverfront Stadium is set for 7:05 p.m.

The patch features Schwechheimer with a corner of Riverfront Stadium in the background and Schwechheimer’s signature below.

“It was a very organic decision to have the patch,” said Wind Surge managing partner Jordan Kobritz, “We were discussing how to best honor Lou this season, and while we were still in conversation Todd brought the patch to us, and immediately we knew that was it.”

The Wind Surge said Schweccheimer was a 40-year veteran of Minor League Baseball and call him “a visionary for the Wind Surge and Riverfront Stadium, and the catalyst behind the team’s move from New Orleans to Wichita.”

“Lou truly believed in minor league baseball, and he saw the Wind Surge and Riverfront Stadium becoming a part of the Wichita community for decades to come,” said Jane Schwechheimer, Lou’s wife and majority General Partner of the Wind Surge. “To have him out on the field with the team every night is such a wonderful celebration of the commitment and passion that he had for our organization and baseball.”

Graphic designer Todd Radom, whose work includes an official Super Bowl logo, an NBA All Star Game logo and several projects for Scheweccheimer, including the design for the Wind Surge’s identity, created the “Lou patch” the team will wear at every game, home and away this season.

“Helping pay tribute to my friend Lou was truly a labor of love. I think of him every single day, and I know that his vision, his generous spirit, and his abiding love for the game of baseball will forever be embedded in the soul of the club,” Radom said.

The Wind Surge said the “Lou” patch, as well as “Lou” t-shirts will be available in the Wind Surge Team Store at Riverfront Stadium, as well as online.

“All net proceeds from sales of both the patch and shirt will be donated to the Schwechheimer Family Foundation, a 501c3 entity that will operate the Baseball Museum at Riverfront Stadium and provide opportunities for underserved members of the Wichita community,” the team said.