The Indiana University has a name for its new ballpark: Bart Kaufman Field, named after a major donor to the $19.8-million baseball/softball project.
Kaufman is a former IU baseball student-athlete and chairman and CEO of Indianapolis-area Kaufman Financial Corp.
“Indiana University is deeply grateful to alumnus Bart Kaufman for his generosity toward the development of a new baseball facility and his support of our mission to provide IU’s student-athletes with the resources they need to compete at the highest level,” IU President Michael McRobbie said. “The new Bart Kaufman Field promises to significantly strengthen our baseball program at it seeks to build upon strong recent performances, while also greatly enhancing the fan experience at the ballpark.”
The new baseball/softball complex will be located on the north edge of the IU Bloomington athletics campus near the State Road 45/46 Bypass. Private donations and athletic department funds will fund the project. Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects of Indianapolis has designed the complex.
Highlights of the new stadium include new locker rooms and dugouts, indoor/outdoor hitting cages, a turf field, a press box, a scoreboard, a lighting and sound system, and hospitality suites. The complex will also feature ample parking, an entry plaza, a picnic area, concessions and restrooms for fans. It should be completed in time for the 2013 Hoosiers baseball season.
The new $19.8-million complex will replace Sembower Field and the IU Softball Field, which are on Fee Lane adjacent to Foster Residence Center.
Images courtesy of the University of Indiana.
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