Construction lagging for baseball stadium

By Brian Witter

The first home game for the men's baseball team will begin Jan. 28, but the team's new ballpark across the street is still being developed without much actual completed construction.

Nearly nine months ago, the Santa Clara City Council approved a plan for a stadium to be built for use by the 2005 season. But the project is still underfunded, with the total cost of the facility nearing $7.5 million.

"It was never intended for the stadium to be finished on time for the first home game," Athletic Director Dan Coonan said. "We do anticipate that the team will be able to use it for part of this season though."

Initial plans for the stadium included VIP suites, batting cages, locker rooms, a press box, concession stands and a parking lot. Today, construction crews are on-site, yet much of the site still remains a dirt lot.

Coonan hopes the stadium will be ready for play by March 1.

"Most of the designs are done, but we still hold meetings weekly to tinker with the specifics in an effort to finalize everything."

Coonan remained optimistic when asked whether the lack of funding would hinder the job's progress.

"Everything is still on schedule and we fully intend to reach our target date," Coonan said. "Santa Clara still continues to fundraise and we are very lucky to have generous donors affiliated with this university."

It is anticipated that the new 1,500 seat, grass-lined, state-of-the-art stadium will rival other college stadiums, such as Stanford's Sunken Diamond.

"High school players are going to be attracted to our new facilities which will be very player development friendly," Santa Clara baseball Coach Mark O'Brien said. "We will be able to videotape our pitching, so the coaches will be able to dispense immediate feedback and adjust our bullpen settings."

O'Brien added that a new stadium will further advance the baseball program, which finished last season with the second-best record in the West Coast Conference and an overall record of 31-26. The stadium is also aimed at building community within Santa Clara and will host a series of other events, including camps and high school baseball games.

"Fan attendance is largely a result of the product we put on the field," O'Brien said. "I think there will be a lot of excitement regarding the new facility, but a lot of our support is a direct result of how well we perform."

Regardless of fan bases and team accomplishment, however, the supposed grand opening of the Stephen Schott Baseball Stadium is just over four months away, and there is still much to do before the Broncos take the field.

O'Brien concluded that whether or not the stadium gets finished by the promised Feb.15 deadline, the Santa Clara baseball world has much to be thankful for.

"We have so many people to thank including Fr. Locatelli and Stephen Schott," O'Brien said. "They've made our dreams come true."

*Contact Brian Witter at (408) 551-1918 or bwitter@scu.edu.