Mercer Breaks Ground on OrthoGeorgia Park at Claude Smith Field
6/24/2016 7:30:00 PM | Baseball
Baseball's new stadium to accommodate 1,500
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PHOTOS: GROUNDBREAKING EVENT
MACON, Ga. – Mercer University officials gathered at the site of Claude Smith Field on Friday afternoon to recognize the start of construction on OrthoGeorgia Park at Claude Smith Field, a new baseball stadium on the Macon campus.
After speakers – whom included Mercer President Bill Underwood, Director of Athletics Jim Cole, Head Baseball Coach Craig Gibson and Senior Associate Director of Athletics Brian Gerrity, among others – opened the groundbreaking event with remarks of the stadium's and program's histories, construction officially began.
The new stadium will accommodate 1,500 fans and feature premium chairback seating behind home plate. Other features include new dugouts, concession and restroom facilities, press box and camera positions for ESPN3 broadcasts, two open-air suites, a ticket booth, and the M. Diane Owens Entry Plaza.
OrthoGeorgia Park at Claude Smith Field is named in recognition of a lead gift provided by Macon-based OrthoGeorgia last year. Click here for the full release regarding OrthoGeorgia's lead commitment.
Claude Smith Field, among the finest playing surfaces in all of collegiate baseball, is named for one of the University's all-time winningest baseball coach, who guided the Bears to 405 victories from 1948 to 1977. The venue underwent its last renovations, which included improvements to the playing surface and construction of an indoor hitting facility, in 2003.
Over the past decade, the Bears have elevated the program to a new level under the guidance of Gibson. The program has reached the NCAA Tournament in three of the past seven years, and is the two-time defending Southern Conference regular season champion following their 2016 title. The Bears are one of only seven NCAA Division I programs to win at least 35 games each of the past seven years as well.
