Former Western Kentucky baseball player Paul Orberson has made a commitment of $500,000 as a lead gift toward construction of a baseball clubhouse at WKU. In turn, WKU will name the facility the Paul C. Orberson Clubhouse.

The clubhouse will be built adjacent to Nick Denes Field and will be linked to the indoor batting facility, said WKU athletic director Wood Selig.

Orberson, who graduated from WKU in 1979 with a degree in history, came to the Hill in the fall of 1974 on a full baseball scholarship.

He would end up leading the team in earned run average twice, posting a 2.14 mark in 1976 and a 2.19 ERA in ’78. He also led WKU with eight victories and 78 innings pitched his senior season, both school records at the time, while earning first-team all-Ohio Valley Conference honors in 1977 (as a designated hitter after batting .323 with 23 RBI and 23 runs) and ’78 (as a pitcher, when he also struck out a career-high 64 hitters).

Orberson still is tied for third on the school’s all-time record list with 12 complete games, which set a WKU standard at the conclusion of his four-year career.