Jakob Milani
Sports editor
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The Murray State Athletics Facility Master Plan has been working hard to help the stadiums that student athletes perform in and they have now turned towards the baseball team.
The Murray State baseball team currently plays at Johnny Reagan Field, located between the CFSB Center and Roy Stewart Stadium. They relocated to the spot in 1989 after leaving Murray State Field.
Head Coach Dan Skirka said the upcoming improvements will help bring in more recruits, making Murray State a bigger destination for baseball players.
“Everything we’re talking about for Reagan Field just goes to make our already beautiful campus even better and the experience for our players and the fans is raised to a higher level and that’s exciting,” Skirka said.
Johnny Reagan Field is one of the newest and best looking stadiums in the OVC and the Athletics Facility Master Plan is looking to upgrade it even more. The plan looks to upgrade the grass on the field to a new state-of-the-art artificial playing turf. The reasoning behind this is to help with the weather issue that Johnny Regan Field has had for many years as many games and practices have been canceled due to inclement weather.
The new surface will also help with hosting youth camps and baseball events to bring in more revenue. The plan also includes a new video board, new bathrooms in the dugouts and around the field and an area for tailgating in right field.
Future plans for the baseball team also include a new indoor hitting and fielding facility with a couple of options.One option includes building a new facility that would host two-thirds of Murray State athletics on campus, including football, baseball and softball.
Senior infielder Jordan Holly said he’s excited to put in more work in the winter months, when the team normally wouldn’t be able to practice.
“The hours we put in at practice isn’t enough if you want to be the best you can be,” said Holly. “However, getting outside is just not possible at times in the winter and our season begins in late February. When we get an indoor place to practice, it’s going to be great for the program.”
These new additions look to improve not just the players abilities but also the overall gameday experience for fans and players. There is currently no time table on when the renovations will take place.
