The NCAA is looking into an overhaul of the playoffs leading up to the College World Series by expanding the number of first-round host ballparks to 32 from the present 16, though the number of teams in the tourney would remain the same. The rationale behind the move: by increasing the number of host ballparks, […]
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Minneapolis proposes new Vikings stadium, demolition of Metrodome
In a move that could impact hundreds of college-baseball games annually, the city of Minneapolis will be unveiling a plan today to build a new Minnesota Vikings stadium on the current Metrodome site, leaving local universities without a warm place to play during the mean months of March and April. The Dome is best known […]
Bells announce upgrades to Joe Martin Field
The new-look Bellingham Bells (summer collegiate; West Coast League) are continuing their 2011 makeover with upgrades to their home ballpark, Joe Martin Field. The changes include new seating and two new group areas. The fixed, “bucket” seats along the first and third base line are being replaced with new fold-down stadium seats. The 64 new […]
League Stadium damaged by heavy winds
League Stadium, the home of the Dubois County Bombers (summer collegiate, Prospect League), sustained significant wind damage from severe storms ripping through southern Indiana last night, as most of the grandstand roof on the third-base side was torn off and the right-field wall was flattened. The Huntingburg ballpark is historic, dating back to around 1890. […]
Sims Legion Park in midst of facelift
Renovations are currently underway at Sims Legion Park, home of the Gastonia Grizzlies (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League), with a new concourse, complete with new ticket booth and two new entrances, under construction for the 2011 season. In addition, all three grandstands and the box seats have been painted, and fans are installed in the […]
Packers pitch Bullfrogs on Lambeau-area ballpark
The NFL’s Green Bay Packers want to attract fans year-round to the Lambeau Field area, and one way to do this is working with the Green Bay Bullfrogs (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) on a new ballpark as part of a larger entertainment complex in the area. The Packers are in the early stages of working […]
Green Bay examining new ballpark financing tools
With total private financing of a new Green Bay Bullfrogs (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) facility seemingly stalled, three Green Bay aldermen are joining ranks to explore public-financing options for a new ballpark. The Bullfrogs have already put together a pretty cool ballpark plan, calling for a new facility to built on the shores of the […]
Razorbacks set new attendance mark
It was a big Saturday night for the Arkansas Razorbacks, as the team rallied to defeat SEC archrival LSU, and the school set a Baum Stadium attendance record. The actual attendance of 11,103 and the paid attendance of 11,462 were both Baum Stadium records. The previous attendance records of 11,434 (paid) and 11,014 (actual) were […]
Metrodome repairs to begin today
Repairs to the roof of the Metrodome, normally the home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball team, will begin today — appropriately enough, in a drizzle. The repairs should take the rest of the spring and a chunk of the summer, as three large panels will be replaced before the roof is reinflated. Then comes […]
Real baseball emerges in college game
After new bat rules were instituted in the NCAA ranks this season, fans are seeing a return of real baseball to the college game, where the basics — good pitching, solid defense — have returned and the days of just waiting for a homer are gone. This is the first season under new bat rules […]
Mallards unveil new logos for 2011
Coinciding with the extreme makeover of Warner Park for the 2011 season, the Madison Mallards (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) unveiled new logos at an event today in Wisconsin. The new logos feature a slightly more menacing Maynard Mallard, replacing the original logo created when the team joined the Northwoods League more than 10 years ago. […]
Renovation work begins on Madison’s Duck Pond
The grand makeover of Warner Park, the home of the Madison Mallards (summer collegiate; Northwoods League), is underway, as construction crews took out the remaining portions of the grandstand and started pouring footings for a new grandstand. The work will complete a complete makeover of Warner Park from when it opened as the very basic […]
Grizzlies, Canseco to team up for HR Derby
Good thing there’s lots of room past the home-run fences at Sims Legion Park: the Gastonia Grizzlies (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League) are hosting a Home Run Derby on March 19 featuring former American League MVP Jose Canseco. It’s billed as the first annual ASP Nation Home Run Derby. Fans will have the opportunity to […]