D3 Baseball Stadium Example

[billikenfan05]

8 minutes ago, Bills_06 said:

According to wikipedia, Bill DeWitt III wife went to SLU.  Wonder if they have been hit up for donations.  

That would require common sense 

[Box and Won]

24 minutes ago, Bills_06 said:

According to wikipedia, Bill DeWitt III wife went to SLU.  Wonder if they have been hit up for donations.  

Quote

A native of Istanbul, Turkey of Armenian descent, she is the president and co-founder of Notifi Records, an urban music label featuring R&B artists Ginuwine, Johnny Gill and Bos. Ira has educational cred as well, having earned a PhD in education and psychology from St. Louis University after living in Canada in her earlier years.

 Maybe we could invite her to a game and the band could play Pony.  The band should play Pony regardless.  I don't know how that would sound, but it's worth a shot.

[Clock_Tower]

Talk about really nice baseball stadiums and facilities, just got back from Ole Miss, LSU and Alabama...   From fields/facilities to indoor training facilities and weight rooms to classrooms to dorms/cafeterias --- simply no comparison.  On campus Starbucks, Chick Fil A, etc. on campus and part of meal plans.   Student/non-athlete Freshman dorms built in suite format -- 4 small bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (each with shower, sink & toilet) and a larger common room with 1/2 kitchen.   Not the same "traditional" dorms with 1 small room, 1 small sink and common bath/showers down the hall.

On a related note from another thread:  Alabama has 12 indoor tennis courts in their new complex to go along with their outside courts.

[SLOU]

MCC has nicer fields than SLU. SLUH is getting turf all said and done over $1.5 million in renovations and field turf. How can leaders at slu walk by their field and not realize how bad it is, esp right next to the Chaifetz Arena? I know it’s all about money, but when high schools, D2, D3 and NAIA schools have better fields than a D1. Something isn’t right. At least turf whole field. 

[SLOU]

I am a travel ball parent, my sons have been all over the country. So, I’ve seen more ballparks than Crash Davis over the last 15 years or so with all of my kids. So when I say this I’m not trying to be a d$&k SLU is one of the most challenged D1 fields in the country. At A10 tournament years ago they had a tree house like press box, it was bizarre/funny as hell to say the least. It looked like something the little rascals built as a clubhouse. No covered roofing for hot summer days, spending 8 hrs plus at the field, no bathrooms, parking is so so, it’s a bad set up. Chaifetz is awesome. It’s like somebody owning a mansion in Frontenac with a couch on their front porch. Best way I can explain it, if anything you’d think somebody would think, first impressions are important? Especially baseball families who play during the summer, a lot of those kids go to college and pay a lot of tuition, two of my kids were good enough to play at SLU and they didn’t even consider it because they didn’t want to play in a facility below their high school field. It’s a real thing out there whether people agree or don’t. Just wanted to shed light on previous post. Thanks 

[Clock_Tower]

Thanks for sharing.   Yes.   I had heard that SLU actually dug up the old concrete and steel structures under their infield when they made their last improvements which prevented proper drainage - and that was a big deal.  And last year the team and coaches themselves raised some money try and make improvements so they can train in the cold weather/muddy fields.   SLU needs to take its D1 athletics more seriously.   I sure made a lot of negative comments about/against Fr. Biondi... and he deserved them.  But what has Dr. P done?   What improvements have been made under his watch?   Have we increased any team's budgets?   Expanded scholarships?   And we are supposed to be considered an attractive candidate to the Big East??  Good grief. 

 

 

[Clock_Tower]

 

 

44 minutes ago, SLOU said:

MCC has nicer fields than SLU. SLUH is getting turf all said and done over $1.5 million in renovations and field turf. How can leaders at slu walk by their field and not realize how bad it is, esp right next to the Chaifetz Arena? I know it’s all about money, but when high schools, D2, D3 and NAIA schools have better fields than a D1. Something isn’t right. At least turf whole field. 

Local high school DeSmet Jesuit also getting a new turf football field and baseball field improvements.   You mentioned SLUH, but in case others don't know, the Marianists also seem to be quite supportive of athletics in that Vianney High recently built a very nice, all-turf baseball field (infield and outfield) which is one the best fields around as is as nice or nicer than Chaminade High's newer baseball field - which has a traditional dirt infield...  And I believe Chaminade still has traditional grass on their football field but has turf fields for football practices, lacrosse, etc.   Yes... even the local Catholic, private schools are spending money on their athletics... and therefore the need for colleges to spend and spend to keep their facilities state of the art.

[courtside]

On 8/1/2019 at 8:49 PM, Clock_Tower said:

Talk about really nice baseball stadiums and facilities, just got back from Ole Miss, LSU and Alabama...   From fields/facilities to indoor training facilities and weight rooms to classrooms to dorms/cafeterias --- simply no comparison.  On campus Starbucks, Chick Fil A, etc. on campus and part of meal plans.   Student/non-athlete Freshman dorms built in suite format -- 4 small bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (each with shower, sink & toilet) and a larger common room with 1/2 kitchen.   Not the same "traditional" dorms with 1 small room, 1 small sink and common bath/showers down the hall.

On a related note from another thread:  Alabama has 12 indoor tennis courts in their new complex to go along with their outside courts.

The SEC is in its own little baseball world. Where to begin? Kentucky’s new $49 million facility that recently opened. Or Arkansas’ $27 million upgrades coming soon? Four SEC stadiums seat well over 10k and a few more are close to that. Or you could begin with Vandy, current National Champions, National Coach of the year, Tim Corbin, if you want to compare to a small private school. $12 million 30,000 square foot facility 100% donated, mostly by ex Vandy players. Tim Corbin was a pioneer with going all turf in cold weather climates. He started with many budget restraints there.  (They replaced their entire turf this summer yet again and upgraded scoreboards) Corbin built a monster out of little. 15 NCAA’s 9 Super Regionals, 4 World Series and 2 National Titles. 23 MLB players with dozens more on the cusp.  Pre-season top 5 next year. This success is all in the past 17 years. .....By the way they are getting a Junior pitcher out of CBC High School who committed there in the 8th grade, Christian Little. Andruw Jones’ son recently committed, and Al Leiter’s son Jack is an incoming Freshman turning down first round millions. Former Lombardi and Outland Trophy winner Tracy Rocker’s son was a star Freshman including Super Regional no hitter striking out 19. And many of their annual high school recruits don’t even make it campus as they go pro instead. Cardinals 2nd round draft pick Tre Fletcher signed with Stl. 

The city of Hoover Alabama invested $80 million in upgrades to keep the SEC baseball tourney so that it didn’t go elsewhere. Speaking if Alabama, U of Alabama’s $43 million baseball stadium is just a few years old. Auburn is building a new indoor facility and working on multi million baseball upgrades.

LSU, (11k) Mississippi St.(15k)  both have considered among the best in baseball. Ole Miss, South Carolina, on down the line. St. Louisan Tony Vitello is turning U of Tennessee baseball around and facility upgrades will be coming.  It just goes on and on up and down the league. There were double digit top 25 SEC baseball teams this year.  

So yes it’s quite a different world in the SEC. They love their baseball. And this is just baseball. 

SLU isn’t expected of course to come close to any of that in terms of funding or facilities. But it’s always helpful to know what top programs are doing as well as comparable programs, even geographies. Former Vandy assistant Erik Bakich had cold weather Michigan in the championship game.  

[SLOU]

You are correct on SEC info. Great insight. Vandy has so many scholarship advantages - make under 100k go free?  So essentially he has 20 plus scholarships to 11 elsewhere as does Michigan now.   

Bottom line. Slu doesn’t care about any sports except Men’s basketball.  If they aren’t embarrassed by Baseball after all these years then why would they start now.   Old saying. If  it’s important you find a way!   All facilities are usually built w help from donor or lead gift. Chaifetz, Herman etc on and on and then named. But who would give money to this current regime? Slu has no one on board to raise money for anyone but basketball too.  

[Clock_Tower]

No one knows, or cares, about the other sports programs at Butler as the men's basketball team not only makes the NCAA Tourney every year but regularly makes the Sweet 16 before making the Final Four and damn near winning the whole thing.  Same, to a lesser degree, with Xavier which dominated the MCC and then the A10 year after year while pulling huge upsets of Cincy most years (often when Cincy was top 10 ranked).  Same with Gonzaga who has been a regular Tourney team, Sweet 16 team and then high seed most years over these past 25 years....

SLU has been the A10 for nearly 20 years (dating back to Soderberg?) and we have hardly dominated the A10, we have not been a regular Tourney team, we have not made the Sweet 16, we don't even play top 10 teams much less have success against them... so maybe SLU should be a little more concerned, and spend a little more money on, its other sports programs other than just men's basketball.

 

 

 

[courtside]

12 hours ago, SLOU said:

You are correct on SEC info. Great insight. Vandy has so many scholarship advantages - make under 100k go free?  So essentially he has 20 plus scholarships to 11 elsewhere as does Michigan now.   

Bottom line. Slu doesn’t care about any sports except Men’s basketball.  If they aren’t embarrassed by Baseball after all these years then why would they start now.   Old saying. If  it’s important you find a way!   All facilities are usually built w help from donor or lead gift. Chaifetz, Herman etc on and on and then named. But who would give money to this current regime? Slu has no one on board to raise money for anyone but basketball too.  

This is a pretty good article below explaining the myth that Vandy has an advantage over others with baseball scholarships. It doesn’t prevent other SEC schools from complaining though. 

https://www.anchorofgold.com/2019/5/30/18645077/opportunity-vanderbilt-an-explainer