Over the course of the 2020-21 academic year, Elizabethtown College has been constructing a new softball field just behind the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being. Unfortunately, the field is not yet completed and cannot be played or practiced on. However, softball Coach Kathleen Staib anticipates the field will be completed by early to mid-summer, which will allow the team to use it as early as next semester. Seniors graduating in 2021 will not get the chance to play on the field but are still excited for their younger teammates.
Staib says the new field is significant for the team because current and future athletes will be able to play on the best field in the Landmark Conference, and maybe in the entire region.
“Our spectators will have a great sightline and be in the game with ample seating surrounding home plate. I’m sure future softball prospects will be excited to attend Etown knowing they can play in the stadium,” Staib said.
Senior third base/pitcher Paige Phillips commented on the team’s excitement for the new field. “For the players, the field is in a great location and the new dugouts are very spacious. The new field has bleachers for the spectators, which will create a much better experience for the fans. The overall feeling of the games is enhanced by the stadium seating as well as the press box.”
“It’s like waiting for Christmas Day. [The athletes] keep asking, ‘when will the field be ready?’ We’re all excited for that first practice and game in the new stadium,” Staib said when asked about how the team members were feeling about the new field.
“Athletic Director Chris Morgan invited me to construction meetings throughout the process to provide a first-hand perspective as to the function and flow of various features. In the end, we will have a beautiful stadium that will be appreciated by our softball student-athletes and coaching staff for years to come,” said Staib.
The current softball field will be torn down, regraded and turned into green space for intramurals, practices, free play and student recreation.
