While college baseball season might be over, College Baseball Daily is keeping you covered by counting down the Top 10 Stadiums in the country. Each day we’ll have a different stadium, including the history and fun facts, until we reach the number one stadium in all of college baseball. We continue the countdown today with number 5 with Nebraska’s Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.
Set in the city of Lincoln, Hawks Field at Haymarket Park allows Cornhusker fans a great experience at the ballpark. When the field opened in 2002, fans were able to flock to the 32 acre complex to enjoy their Cornhuskers baseball and softball teams, as well as the Lincoln Saltdogs, who play for the American Association of Independent League Professional Baseball. The field itself is named for Myrna Hawks, who was an avid supporter of the Cornhuskers’ baseball program and passed away before the completion of the stadium. Myrna, along with her husband Howard committed to the construction and allowed for this perfect stadium to be built. Since taking over their new home, the Huskers have posted a 229-77-1 record, including the school record season of 33-4 back in 2005. The stadium features chairback seats in the main seating bowl, a playground for children, and the recently added Husker Home Run terrace, which allows fans to be closer to the game. Are all of the chairbacks full? Take a seat on a grassy berm out over the outfield wall. By having the stadium in a bowl setting, fans are granted a view of downtown Lincoln and Memorial Stadium as they enjoy the day at the ballpark with their families. Along with being a great field for fans to enjoy, the stadium has picked up the honor of “Best Playing Surface,” which they have been awarded every year since the stadium was opened. Hawks Field has also been named Sports Turf Management Association’s “Baseball Field of the Year” for the college division in both 2003 and 2007, making them the first school to win twice. In addition to having a nice field, Hawks Field was the first collegiate venue to install “SubAir,” which can heat or cool the field all year round. Fans seem to love flocking to Hawks Field; the Huskers have been among the Top 20 in attendance for nine out of ten years (In 2013, they ranked 19th.) After a baseball game, fans can use the connecting pedestrian walkway to go explore the Historic Haymarket district, or go catch a softball game at adjacent Bowlin Field.
You can check out the rest of our Top 10 by clicking here.
