No matter where Stephen Hood went, what he did, or who he met, he always made a positive impression.

This was especially true in sports — especially baseball and basketball — from Little League through college.

The mark he left with the Kutztown University baseball team was obvious last Saturday when “Hoody” was honored in a gratuitous, emotional pre-game ceremony.

Hood, a 2024 graduate of Panther Valley High School, died in a one-vehicle accident on a slippery, snow-covered highway on Dec. 23.

After high school, the 6-4, 215-pound athlete went to Kutztown where he played baseball and majored in business administration.

He was redshirted last year because of an arm injury and is listed as a pitcher on this season’s varsity roster.

Last Saturday, a maroon bench placed in the bullpen off right field was dedicated to Hoody.

On the back of the bench is a mounted, bronze plaque bearing his name as well as a photo of him smiling and wearing a Kutztown University hat. That unique, welcoming smile was a given trademark of Hood.

The plaque affectionately reads: “Hoody’s Bull Pen. Forever Family. Stephen Hood #20. 11/11/2005 - 12/13/2005.”

Hood wore the No. 20 jersey through high school and with Kutztown.

The bench and the location of it is quite appropriate considering Stephen’s playing position — a pitcher.

The respect Hood earned at the college was noticeable. When his parents, Ronald and Jen Hood of Lansford, walked past the dugout toward the bench, the whole Kutztown team stood at the fence single file and brushed hands.

The scoreboard had a “20” prior to the game as the listed batter. A white, Kutztown jersey with number 20 hung outside the dugout. Cream-colored T-shirts stating on the back “Hoody’s Bullpen. Family Forever,” as well as the silhouette of a pitcher, were worn by his teammates prior to the game.

Kutztown’s head baseball coach Eric Folmar said, “The whole season is dedicated to Stephen.”

His father was given the honor of tossing out the first pitch.

Folmar then presented Hoody’s parents with their son’s No. 20 shirt, meticulously mounted within a large frame.

He said events and the dedication of the season to Hoody “are to show them, his family, the love we had for him.”

The game announcer proclaimed: “The starting pitcher for today’s game is Stephen Hood.”

It was a cold day for baseball with temperatures struggling to reach 40, coupled with a brutal, stinging wind, but still several hundred people attended.

Among them were the entire Panther Valley High School baseball team including coaches, many of Stephen’s former teammates, former Little League coaches, school administrators, relatives, neighbors, and many friends, some from well beyond the Panther Valley area.

“Today is dedicated to Stephen Hood who is a teammate of ours, a brother, a son who passed away unexpectedly in the fall and we’re just here to honor him, his life,” Folmar said.

He labeled his late player “a tremendous teammate, a tremendous young man, a tremendous person. Obviously, he made a huge impact to our team and the Kutztown community.

“He had a great personality, Folmar added. “Being around him was so much fun for all of us. He was greatly loved by his teammates and coaches, and the Kutztown community.

“He was here for a year and a half, and the number of people he touched in that time was amazing.”

One reason last Saturday was chosen for the very special event was because Kutztown’s opponent was Mansfield. Stephen’s brother, Brad, is a pitcher for Mansfield.

“It’s a special day for both teams,” Folmar said.

Long before the tragedy in December, many local fans were looking forward to last weekend’s matchup between Mansfield in Kutztown in the hope the Hood brothers might oppose each other in a sport in which they both excelled.

Ironically, Brad was unable to pitch in Saturday’s game because of an elbow injury.

The parents were visibly touched by the pre-game program.

“It was beautiful, a nice tribute to Stephen,” Ron Hood said.

He added, “It still amazes me how many people he touched in just 20 years. We miss him every minute.”

Both Stephen and Brad were outstanding baseball and basketball players, evolving from their Little League days to college.

In baseball, both brothers had a reputation as powerful pitchers and hitters.

Stephen saw limited baseball pitching in his senior year due to a shoulder injury but was a valuable contributor with his bat and as a first baseman.

In his high school junior year, Stephen had an impressive .463 batting average with 27 RBIs, five home runs and five doubles. His pitching prowess included a 1.45 ERA with eight starts and 53 innings on the mound. The team behind him and Brad finished the season with a 21-3 record.

As a sophomore, he batted .361 with a team-high 24 RBIs. He had eight doubles, a triple and two homers. He made 12 mound appearances, including nine starts, and compiled a 2.55 ERA, throwing in 57 2/3 innings.

The announcer at Kutztown said that the bench indicates that Hoody “will forever be a part of the Kutztown baseball team.”