Baseball and Softball Training Facility Celebrated at Dedication Ceremony
10/20/2014 12:36:00 PM | Baseball, Softball
KENT, Ohio - Kent State kicked off its homecoming activities last Saturday with the dedication of the David and Peggy Edmonds Baseball and Softball Training Facility.
University administrators, coaches, athletics staff, student-athletes, alumni, families, fans and those involved in the project were on hand to formally open the new facility at Schoonover Stadium. The facility includes dirt pitching mounds and moveable batting cages on a turf surface, as well as office space for the coaching staffs.
"This is a day of celebration and it's a celebration of the present and the future of Kent State University," said President Beverly Warren at the event. "I am so pleased to be a part of a university where I see men's and women's programs equally celebrated."
A groundbreaking for the new facility took place nearly a year prior on Oct. 5, 2013. The project was made possible by a lead gift of $500,000 by Dave Edmonds '80 and a generous donation of $100,000 by Tom Cole '72, both of whom are Kent State baseball alumni. Additionally, there were other gifts between $5,000 and $25,000 in support of the project, including generous donations from former Major League pitchers Chris Carpenter '09 and Matt Guerrier.
"I'm so excited that Barbara and I could contribute to what's really a world-class program," Cole said. "I think this is just another example of how Kent State University and Kent State alumni are committed to the baseball and softball programs here, and it's great to be a part of it."
Edmonds, who had the honor to name the facility after his parents, Dave and Peggy, also addressed the crowd before he and his father threw out honorary first pitches from the mound.
"The preparation I received at this university, not only in playing in the athletics program but through its classwork, through the relationships with the administrators, and so forth, was a great stepping stone to the things that I would face in life," Edmonds said.
"I would just say this to all of you," he addressed the student-athletes, "as you come into this facility each day, that you come in with the attitude that this is a place to prepare, a place to develop, a place to hone your skills, a place to prepare you for competition and life, and that you will hold it with reverence, you will hold it with respect."
The facility upgrade is part of the Building Champions initiative, the biggest fundraising initiative in the history of the athletic department that was announced in 2013. The initiative will generate money from private donors to fund a $25 million dollar investment in athletic scholarships and a $35 million dollar investment in various enhancement projects.
On a larger scale, the project is also part of the University's Foundations of Excellence: Building the Future initiative. This campus transformation involves the construction of new buildings, facility upgrades and the establishment of dynamic, new spaces. The University has embarked on a major, multifaceted initiative to make each of Kent State's eight campuses everything a world-class, 21st century campus should be for the sake of the students, faculty, staff, alumni and the greater community enriched by the institution.
"On this great moment and this great homecoming day, I'm so pleased to be here to celebrate with you," President Warren continued, "to express my gratitude to Dave and to Tom, but also the many donors who have faith in athletics and who have demonstrated that with your kind support over the years.
"This facility, to me, is representative of the best you see in NCAA athletics and it's right here at Kent State University."
Changes to the Kent Campus are mirrored in the incredible renaissance of downtown Kent, strengthening the town-gown relationship and creating the enriching experience of a rising college town.
The hitting facility is part of continuing upgrades to the Kent State baseball facilities at Schoonover Stadium. In 2005, a field turf surface was installed, along with an underground drainage system, new dugouts, bullpens, backstop and outfield fencing. For the 2007 season, a home locker room, players' lounge, restrooms and concession stand were added. The updated scoreboard in right field was installed in 2008. In 2013, Kent State baseball played night games after the addition of lights at Schoonover Stadium. A new parking area and stadium entrance opened in 2014.
