If you attend a baseball game at Nischwitz Stadium next semester, you’re going to notice a drastic change.
The Wright State Athletic Department is installing FieldTurf and replacing the natural grass at WSU’s oldest athletic facility.
“About $600,000 has been donated for the project. And that number is still growing as donations continue to come in,” WSU Athletic Director Bob Grant said.
WSU chose the FieldTurf Double Play Classic model, which allows teams to customize the fibers to suit their needs.
The concept had been discussed by the athletic department for the last few years.
“In years past, we had games rained out when it hadn't rained in days due to drainage problems,” Grant said.
The approximately $1,000,000 project, mostly supported by private donations, hopes to eliminate drainage problems the stadium has long suffered from.
“It should let us get out on the field way more often,” Grant said. “More time on the field is less missed class time.”
Nischwitz Stadium is used for more than just Wright State’s baseball team. The stadium is rented out to host high school tournaments and a summer amateur wooden bat league, which many Raiders participate in.
A field with less drainage problems allows more rental time and revenue opportunities for WSU.
The stadium upgrades are expected to be complete by mid-October and will include a new press box. Grant believes the new field will energize the Raiders, who hope to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in five seasons.
WSU joins Illinois-Chicago as the only two Horizon League teams with artificial turf. Neighboring stadiums in Ohio such as Bill Davis Stadium at Ohio State, Marge Schott Stadium at Cincinnati and Schoonover Stadium at Kent State also play on turf.
Head Coach Rob Cooper hopes the upgrade will entice new recruits.
“It’s going to give us more developmental time with the players,” Cooper told the Dayton Daily News.
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