Arkansas is considering the construction of a new baseball facility at Baum Stadium, with the building planned to include a new clubhouse and other features.
Under a plan that is being floated by university officials, a new building would be constructed beyond the outfield wall at Baum Stadium. The 35,000- to 40,000-square-foot structure would house a new clubhouse, along with coaches’ offices, a weight room, a museum area, and other features.
Should the plan come to fruition, it would allow Arkansas to move several baseball facilities into one new structure. The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville board of trustees must approve any plans before construction can move forward, but Arkansas is considering the Baum Stadium upgrade in order to make its player amenities more competitive with those found offered by rival programs. More from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:
[Athletic Director Hunter] Yurachek said the multistory facility likely will be built beyond the outfield wall in right field. The estimated price is between $15 million and $20 million. The hope is to have it ready in 2020.
“What I found when I toured our facilities with Coach Van Horn early on in my tenure here is that Baum Stadium is an unbelievable facility for a fan to watch a game, and the fan amenities are really strong,” said Yurachek, who was hired in December, “but where we’re falling behind is the amenities we have to offer our student-athletes — the clubhouse area, the training room, team lounge, team weight room, which are things our student-athletes use seven days a week.”
The Razorbacks’ current weight room is located in an overflow area inside the university’s indoor track center, adjacent to Baum Stadium. The clubhouse is on the north side of the stadium and has an entrance to the field through the first-base dugout.
“When I talked to Hunter about this when he came in, he said, ‘What do you want?’ And I said, ‘I want to improve things for the players,’ ” Van Horn said. “Baum Stadium is awesome, and it’s great when you walk up to it and it’s full, but underneath it’s average with what we’re competing against and what’s going on around the country, and especially in our league. When we walked the facility, I didn’t really have to say anything; Hunter saw.”
According to the Democrat-Gazette, Yurachek is hoping to have the proposal finalized in time for the November meeting of the board of trustees. Baum Stadium has been home to Arkansas baseball since its opening in 1996.