Ben Tootle (Courtesy of Jacksonville State Media Relations)
“We are very thankful for this generous $2 million private gift that we have received,” said JSU President John M. Beehler. “This transformational gift, the largest ever made to Jacksonville State University, will help fund a new stadium for the baseball team, and will positively impact both the competitive and recruiting landscape of the program.”
The baseball stadium is expected to include a 1,000 seat spectator grandstand with a shade canopy, an elevated, shaded entertainment or hospitality deck and service amenities, a new state-of-the-art press box to include radio and television broadcast booths, and a game operations center.
The Gamecocks’ home dugout will be located along the third-base line and adjacent to a new clubhouse that will feature a locker room, lounge, team meeting area and athletic training treatment area. The clubhouse will be attached to an enclosed training facility that will allow for batting and pitching workouts. New step-down team dugouts, bullpens, new coaches offices and meeting space will also be included in the project.
“The new stadium is going to mean so much to our baseball program,” head coach Jim Case said. “It will provide our student-athletes with a first-class facility, while also improving the overall fan experience. Obviously, this will be a great recruiting attraction for our future student-athletes to help us to continue to have a championship program.”
No other team has experienced the success over the last 13 years in the Ohio Valley Conference that the Gamecocks have enjoyed. Jax State has won six Ohio Valley Conference Championships; won more OVC games during that 13-year span than any other team in the league; set the OVC record by posting an amazing 23-4 conference record in 2008; and played in the OVC Tournament Championship game nine out of 13 years.
“I cannot express how thankful we are to our lead-gift donors, President Beehler, and the Board of Trustees for approving this very important project. The new baseball facility will allow our team to continue to compete at the highest level, further demonstrating JSU Athletics’ commitment to enhancing the experience of our student-athletes,” said Director of Athletics Greg Seitz. “As a fan, I can’t wait to experience the excitement of JSU baseball in this new state-of-the-art venue.”
Davis Architects, Inc., from Birmingham and local architect Bill Whittaker will collaborate on the project, which will begin construction later this year and is expected to take 9-12 months to complete. The Gamecocks will play their home games at Choccolocco Park in Oxford during the 2017 season.
Davis Architects has extensive experience designing athletic projects within the state of Alabama and throughout the southeast. They designed Auburn Arena, the Birmingham Crossplex, Bryant-Denny Stadium Expansions, Coleman Coliseum renovations and most recently Sewell-Thomas Stadium, the new baseball stadium at the University of Alabama that opened this past season.
