RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Before there were dugouts, before the lighting towers rose over the majors’ field, before Little League District 57 coaches called Rancho Murieta the best place to play, there was Randy Jenco with an idea of what local kids deserved.

At the Rancho Murieta Association Board meeting on Nov. 18, that long vision came full circle as the directors voted unanimously to rename Stonehouse Little League Field No. 1 in his honor.

Board President Patrick O’Hern read the proclamation recognizing Jenco’s “tireless efforts and selfless dedication” and his “ongoing and strong sense of community,” noting that visiting teams hold the fields “in the highest regard” because of the commitment he brought to building and improving them. The proclamation resolved that the field be renamed and identified by a plaque affixed to it, formally marking his decades of work.

General Manager Rod Hart, who served for many years as RMA’s maint
enance manager, told the board that Jenco transformed the park from the moment he arrived. 

“Well, first off, where do I start? Randy was instrumental in pretty much every aspect of that park,” he said. “We thought we started off with a really nice park, and then Randy came along and talked about the benefits of having real dugouts and lights, and scoreboards.”

Hart recalled that the majors’ field had severe drainage problems, and Jenco’s crew tackled those issues while also constructing dugouts and undertaking “several other projects on all three fields.”

Hart noted that Jenco’s family was also part of the effort. 

“Even his wife Patty was, I think, at the snack bar back in those days, probably more than she was at home.” He added that other leagues would visit and stand in awe of what Rancho Murieta built, saying, “That wouldn’t have happened without Randy’s efforts.”

Director Scott Adams added his perspective as a Cosumnes River Little League parent. 

“My son began playing Little League around 2006 and ended up playing for years and years,” he said. “Everybody knew… the significant amount of thought and time and money you spent getting those fields to the way they are.” Adams said that when teams came from outside the area, “everybody knew” about the Rancho Murieta fields, and that Jenco’s work helped create “some of the best times I’ve spent with my son.”

Audience member Tim Maybee said he has known Jenco from the days both served on the Rancho Murieta Association Maintenance Committee. Maybee and Jenco both went on to serve on the Rancho Murieta Association board and are currently board members with the Rancho Murieta Community Services District.

“It was said the man had a vision,” Maybee said. “He had an idea what those fields could be, not just baseball, not just softball, but softball and then lacrosse.”

He credited past boards, a long list of volunteers and a culture of pitching in. 

“Those dugouts are true dugouts, and the first set of dugouts were where the girls’ softball field [is],” he said, noting that adding lights later “doubled our capacity” and helped both Little League and soccer.

Maybee said Jenco even kept working through hip surgery: “That’s the commitment this man, this family, has to the community.” Maybee said District 57 frequently asks to use Rancho Murieta for the Tournament of Champions because “it is by far the nicest in District 57.” What people often don’t realize, he continued, is how much of the work relied on personal contributions. 

“We owe Randy a ton because not only was it his personal time, but it was his personal money.” Maybee ended by saying, “Board, thank you for recognizing him. It’s about time.”

After the comments, O’Hern presented the plaque and read its inscription: “This field is dedicated to Randy Jenco due to his many contributions and passion for the youth, the park and the community. We have a facility that we can all be proud of.”

Jenco, accompanied by his wife Patty, described the work as a labor of joy. 

“I love this place, and I have spent a lot of time trying to improve the experience that the kids have.”

Because they were raising three boys in Rancho Murieta, Jenco said it was natural to invest in the park. “It was fun, because I like to build things. So, as you look around you, see some of the things that I built.”  (Jenco designed and built the wooden bridge.)

Jenco said he was proud of what he and Hart “accomplished out there at the park,” and also proud of the generations of kids who have played on the fields.

Jenco named several people who contributed over the years, saying he hesitated to start because he knew he would leave someone out. 

“It all started with Dan Hayes, who contributed some netting for a baseball cage, and that turned into concrete and chain link fence,” he said.

Jenko listed others such as Mike Martel, Scott Bailey – who he said “was out there in 100-degree heat laying blocks for some of the dugouts” – Sam Summers and Dave Burkhart, whose construction company helped build the softball field. He also emphasized the role of the Rancho Murieta Optimists, saying, “The Optimists were there,” and noted that “some of us also contributed a lot of money to what we were able to accomplish out there.”

“Just so proud of everybody that had a part of it,” he said, “and just really proud that I was able to be a part of it thanks to our team.” 

Hart responded, “That’s right.” Jenco closed by thanking all who contributed to the years-long effort.