RUSTON, La. (Oct. 28, 2015) – Louisiana Tech’s baseball and softball facilities are set for significant upgrades for the 2016 season as both on-campus fields will have complete turf playing surfaces installed prior to the upcoming spring seasons, Athletics Director Tommy McClelland announced Wednesday.
The estimated $1.2 million project for both J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park and the Lady Techster Softball Complex is 100 percent privately funded and is set to get underway in the next week, weather permitting. Geo-Surfaces, a professional engineering firm based out of Baton Rouge, has designed both fields and will install the turf in the next six to 10 weeks.
“Our commitment to enhance the facilities at Louisiana Tech is a priority for all sports,” McClelland said. “This project is a representation of that commitment.”
The Quest for Excellence capital campaign began in 2010 and money raised over the years has allowed Louisiana Tech to continually advance several facility projects. Renovations and additions throughout the LA Tech Athletic Department include the recent opening of the Davison Athletics Complex, the Paul Millsap Vision videoboard in the Thomas Assembly Center, the installation of lights at the Lady Techster Soccer Complex and a complete overhaul of the baseball locker room at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park, among others.
“I am excited we are able to provide a world-class playing surface for our student-athletes,” McClelland continued. “In doing so, it allows our coaches to invest more time into our student-athletes and less time on manicuring our playing surfaces. It is a win-win. Additionally, I am thankful for our donors for stepping up and helping make this project become a reality. We can’t do things like this without their private support.”
For J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park, construction is set to begin within the next week and will reach completion before Christmas. The baseball turf will cover approximately 140,000 square feet of J.C. Love Field, which is 30 percent larger than a football field. Turf will cover every part of the field except the pitchers’ mound, which will remain dirt.
LA Tech joins the likes of top baseball programs with turf playing surfaces including Indiana, Louisville, Texas and Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs had 14 games altered by weather last season and were forced to play multiple doubleheaders as a result of field conditions throughout the season.
“We are so blessed to have the support of our alumni, administration and donors who have made it possible to further our program,” head baseball coach Greg Goff said. “It is incredibly exciting for us to have the opportunity to enhance our facility to make it one of the best in Conference USA. We believe this turf project will truly make J.C. Love Field one of the top playing surfaces in college baseball and we cannot wait to see the finished product. This generous addition to our facility is going to help in all facets when you look at recruiting, weather and overall outlook of J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.”
Across the street at the Lady Techster Softball Complex, the field is made up of approximately 55,000 square feet and is set for completion before Thanksgiving. A LA Tech logo will be stitched in the turf behind second base in centerfield.
“We feel very fortunate to be a part of such a supportive environment at Louisiana Tech,” head softball coach Mark Montgomery said. “This turf project is another example of the commitment of our administration and our donors to continue to grow Louisiana Tech to the forefront of college athletics.”
Come 2016, both the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters will claim the only fully turf baseball and softball fields in Conference USA as home.
The estimated $1.2 million project for both J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park and the Lady Techster Softball Complex is 100 percent privately funded and is set to get underway in the next week, weather permitting. Geo-Surfaces, a professional engineering firm based out of Baton Rouge, has designed both fields and will install the turf in the next six to 10 weeks.
“Our commitment to enhance the facilities at Louisiana Tech is a priority for all sports,” McClelland said. “This project is a representation of that commitment.”
The Quest for Excellence capital campaign began in 2010 and money raised over the years has allowed Louisiana Tech to continually advance several facility projects. Renovations and additions throughout the LA Tech Athletic Department include the recent opening of the Davison Athletics Complex, the Paul Millsap Vision videoboard in the Thomas Assembly Center, the installation of lights at the Lady Techster Soccer Complex and a complete overhaul of the baseball locker room at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park, among others.
“I am excited we are able to provide a world-class playing surface for our student-athletes,” McClelland continued. “In doing so, it allows our coaches to invest more time into our student-athletes and less time on manicuring our playing surfaces. It is a win-win. Additionally, I am thankful for our donors for stepping up and helping make this project become a reality. We can’t do things like this without their private support.”
For J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park, construction is set to begin within the next week and will reach completion before Christmas. The baseball turf will cover approximately 140,000 square feet of J.C. Love Field, which is 30 percent larger than a football field. Turf will cover every part of the field except the pitchers’ mound, which will remain dirt.
LA Tech joins the likes of top baseball programs with turf playing surfaces including Indiana, Louisville, Texas and Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs had 14 games altered by weather last season and were forced to play multiple doubleheaders as a result of field conditions throughout the season.
“We are so blessed to have the support of our alumni, administration and donors who have made it possible to further our program,” head baseball coach Greg Goff said. “It is incredibly exciting for us to have the opportunity to enhance our facility to make it one of the best in Conference USA. We believe this turf project will truly make J.C. Love Field one of the top playing surfaces in college baseball and we cannot wait to see the finished product. This generous addition to our facility is going to help in all facets when you look at recruiting, weather and overall outlook of J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.”
Across the street at the Lady Techster Softball Complex, the field is made up of approximately 55,000 square feet and is set for completion before Thanksgiving. A LA Tech logo will be stitched in the turf behind second base in centerfield.
“We feel very fortunate to be a part of such a supportive environment at Louisiana Tech,” head softball coach Mark Montgomery said. “This turf project is another example of the commitment of our administration and our donors to continue to grow Louisiana Tech to the forefront of college athletics.”
Come 2016, both the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters will claim the only fully turf baseball and softball fields in Conference USA as home.
