Former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball coach and professor Dr. Kate Vonderau was recognized prior to the Warhawks' doubleheader against Chicago on Saturday, April 18, at van Steenderen Softball Complex.
 
A plaque was installed in honor of Vonderau at the site of the complex's new building, which broke ground last September and has been in place since the start of the 2015 season. The new two-story building behind home plate will eventually house a full press box, coaches offices, restrooms and the UW-Whitewater locker room.
 
Vonderau was a catcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1946-53. As a member of five different teams, Vonderau led the Fort Wayne Daisies to the league championship in 1952 and was selected as an All-Star in 1953.
 
Vonderau joined the UW-Whitewater faculty in 1966 as professor and chair of the university's Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. She served as the Warhawks' softball coach from 1967-73.
 
Vonderau retired from the institution in 1988. She became part of the Baseball Hall of Fame's Women in Baseball display, which highlighted the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, in 1989 in Cooperstown, N.Y.
 
In 1996, Vonderau was named Distinguished Service Award winner by the UW-Whitewater Athletics Hall of Fame. The university dedicated a permanent display case honoring her achievements in 2003.