FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
ORLANDO, FL – UCF Athletics announced a gift commitment that will transform Knights baseball Monday. John Euliano has committed $1.5 million toward expansion and renovation of the UCF Baseball Complex.
UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics Danny White and head baseball coach Greg Lovelady joined Euliano live on Facebook and Twitter Monday evening to make the announcement. Euliano’s gift is expected to allow construction to begin following the 2017 season, pending approval from the UCF President and Board of Trustees.
John Euliano Park would then be scheduled to open for the 2018 season.
“Baseball has always been a passion of mine,” Euliano said. “UCF is world-class academically, and I want to see the University reach the same level of success in athletics. In order to get there, we need first-class facilities for our student-athletes. The game of baseball provides so many life lessons that can help these men in their life after the game ends for them. Dealing with failure, making adjustments, leadership and teamwork are just a few. I have such an amazing opportunity to help the UCF baseball team achieve its goals by funding an upgraded baseball facility, and I’m excited to partner with them in this endeavor. We are going build a championship program, and I’m proud to be a small part of it.”
A Winter Springs resident, Euliano has a family connection to UCF and a long-time love for baseball. Euliano’s son is an alumnus of UCF, while his daughter currently attends the university. Euliano is such a baseball fan, he played in an adult league for many years. He is also currently serving as the Vice Chair of the UCF Foundation Board of Directors.
White and Lovelady said John Euliano Park will make a huge difference in the future of Knights baseball.
“This is a big-time, game-changing gift for us,” White said. “It is one of the largest individual gift commitments in the history of our athletic department. When John Euliano Park opens, we’ll have a state-of-the-art facility for our baseball program that will provide great benefits to our student-athletes, our coaches and our fans. We can’t thank John and his family enough.”
“When the young men we’re recruiting see the renderings, they’re going to be even more excited to come play baseball at UCF,” head coach Greg Lovelady said. “Great facilities, great support and great fans all played a part in my desire to coach at UCF. With this one amazing gesture, John Euliano just raised the level of all those areas. I can’t wait to see John Euliano Park open in the very near future.”
The total cost of UCF’s baseball stadium enhancement project is slated to be $3 million. Much of that will go to the construction of a new home plate tower. This addition to the stadium will include a 300-seat premium club section that will include outdoor seating and indoor amenities, such as an air-conditioned lounge, food and beverage service, private restrooms and a dedicated entrance to the space.
The new home plate tower may also feature a large roof line to provide shade to the concourse and many of the lower-level seats behind home plate. Other amenities slated to be part of John Euliano Park include: shaded bleacher seating for more than 300 seats on the third-base side; an expanded and enhanced concessions building; patron spaces behind the outfield wall; enhancements to the clubhouse; an improved audio system; replacement of some bench seating with chairs; aesthetic upgrades to the park’s entrance and some landscaping improvements.
