Renovations Planned for Scots Softball Field
Extensive renovations are planned for Scots Park, the home of the Alma College softball team, including a repositioned field, larger dugouts, permanent home run fence, warm-up areas, storage facility and press box.
Work will begin in June following the 2011 season, announced John Leister, Alma College athletic director.
“The planned improvements to Scots Park will provide an enhanced facility and competitive environment for a program that has achieved remarkable success over many years,” says Leister. “The project is part of continuous improvements to our athletics facilities and are complementary to the new Hogan Center. The renovations will serve the softball program well into the future.”
Scots Park
The field will stay in its current general location north of the Hogan Center but will be moved approximately 60 feet east and slightly south — away from the nearby railroad tracks and allowing more room for spectators. A permanent fence will surround the field with a warning track in the outfield. An underground irrigation system will be added to the field.
“Continuing with the field at the current campus location makes it easier for students, faculty and staff to attend softball games and support the softball team,” says Leister.
As part of the relocation of the field, new dugouts more than twice the size of the current dugouts will be constructed. A second batting cage will be added, and new regulation-sized bullpen areas outside of each new dugout will provide warm-up space for the pitchers.
A new storage building and larger press box also will be constructed adjacent to the field.
“We will begin construction following the conclusion of the 2011 season, which will allow the softball team to begin using the new facility at the start of the 2012 season,” says Leister. “This timeline allows for the earliest possible construction with the least amount of disruption to the women’s softball program.”
Since 1994, the Scots have won or shared the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association regular season title 15 times and the MIAA tournament eight times and have appeared in 15 NCAA Regional Tournaments.
Alma College and Scots Park hosted NCAA Division III Regional Softball Tournaments in 1998, 2004 and 2005. In addition, Alma College has hosted the MIAA Tournament from 1998 through 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010.
Posted: Mon, October 18th, 2010 at 9:20AM
