I have never said nothing to it. In the overall scheme of what will have to take place the left-field area is nothing compared to what will have to take place with the demo of the existing structure and all that will follow. For what it's worth the road has no meaning to future settings. The utilities are light poles and possibly a scoreboard. Drainage is always part of any project. You are probably also worried about replacing the flagpole in centerfield
Is there a date to when the university's on campus media engineer room will be finished or upgraded?
All these suggestions are an important part of this rebuilding process. All excellent ideas. All excellent points.
One thought, however.
Has the administration talked to the one guy in the camp I imagine who's been to most major venues? Many, many minor league parks? Many, many college parks?
Our university is being negligent if they do not interview this one guy and let him weigh in on what we need to do with The Love Shack site.
I wonder what THE NITZER thinks.
Louisiana Tech University
Flagship of the University of Louisiana System
Tech should rebuild the baseball field in Bernice ...
where Bulldogs have been scoring homeruns since 1899.
Biggest obstacle to building or rebuilding is where will the team practice and play next year. Impossible to plan, design, decide on final design, quote cost, secure contractor(s), and complete project in less than one year, actually next season starts in 10 mths. So I dont see a scenario where the team can practice and play games other than at the current site while a new stadium is being built. Hard to share with RHS during an on-going high school season. Cant share with ULM for home games since so much of the mid-week schedule is already set in advance. Logistically some work would need to be done at current site to accommodate practice and games next year while the stadium is being built elsewhere. Of course any work to be able to use current site just adds to overall cost. It might be possible to practice at RHS and play some games at ULM, some at RHS and maybe some at GSU. I wonder how this might effect recruiting especially juco recruiting. I think high school kids would be ok since most will red shirt but juco guys come with hopes to play immediately. If only state fair stadium was viable.
I think the old Nielson/Caruthers location could work if you build over the bend in the road where Railroad Ave turns into Westwood or whatever it's called. You'd have to do a lot of dirt work though because of that hill.
I'd prefer to keep it in the same spot. Put home plate closer to the tracks near the apartments so that Tech Dr and Alabama border the outfield. That gives you plenty of room for grandstands behind home plate and some seating down the third baseline, plus a fieldhouse behind all that. You lose, what, 40 parking spaces? So build some new spaces where Nielsen/Caruthers used to be.
Practices can be held at the new Ruston Sports Complex if RHS is unavailable. Games, however, could not be played there because the fences will only be 300' compared to the NCAA's recommended 400'. I don't know what the dimensions are at RHS.
The recommended distances for outfield fences are 330 feet from the apex of home plate to each foul pole; 375 feet in both right- and left-center field; 400 feet in straightaway center field. If the distance to the foul pole is less than 330 feet, the fence should be rounded out to the recommended distances in right- and left-center field and straightaway center field, if possible. It is recommended that the foul pole be fluorescent yellow for new construction or for the repainting of existing foul poles.
Games on the other hand???
Option A) Ruston H.S. or Cedar Creek, if dimensions are acceptable.
Option B) U.L.M.
Option C) Grambling