Welch Stadium Earlier this week, the St. Joseph City Council agreed to lease Phil Welch Stadium to Wood Bat Baseball Inc. for four years, which will bring college-level summer baseball back to St. Joe in 2009.

Dan Gerson, who runs Wood Bat Baseball Inc, will pay no rental fee for Phil Welch Stadium, but will be responsible for maintaining the stadium and help with coordinating tournaments and games for high school teams.

Gerson told the St. Joe News-Press that he is working on several hundred thousand dollars in stadium improvements.  Both the city and Gerson will continue to work with Missouri Western so they can continue to play their home baseball games at Welch Stadium.