Bushnell, Springfield Announce Plans for New Baseball Stadium
Eugene, Ore. – Bushnell University, in partnership with the Springfield Baseball Project and Springfield Public Schools announce the signing of a partnership to renovate a baseball field at the Hamlin Sports Complex located at Hamlin Middle School, to be used as the new home for Bushnell Baseball.
The Springfield Baseball Project is an exciting new initiative led by local business leaders Ike Olsson, Olsson Electric and the Huddle Up Foundation; Kelly Richardson, Richardson Sports; local baseball Coach Kenny Niles; and Joe Womack, President of Bushnell University to expand access and participation in the game of baseball in our community.
Work on the field will break ground later this month and the new turf field along with new concession, restroom, and other facilities should be complete in time for the Beacons 2021 fall ball season. The remaining renovations are scheduled to be completed in January 2022.
The Hamlin Sports Complex will continue to serve as home to the Springfield High School Millers along with the Bushnell Beacons, and a soon to be announced summer college wood bat team. After a 50-year absence, Bushnell announced in January the relaunch of its baseball program.
“The Hamlin Sports Complex is the perfect place for our new baseball team to play and train,” said Corey Anderson, Bushnell’s Athletic Director. “We are excited to continue our relationship with Springfield Public Schools. We are currently in our first year with our softball team playing and practicing on Rich Schwab Field at Maple Elementary and now to add another fantastic facility for both players and fans to enjoy is truly a gift.”
Bushnell Head Baseball Coach Tommy Richards said, “The vision of this new park gives us some outstanding momentum as we are talking to recruits and their families and preparing our inaugural roster for this fall. This will quickly become a destination baseball complex with a turf and natural field side-by-side and we believe it will be an excellent facility for Beacons to call home for years to come.”
Strong partnerships provide strong foundations for our students in Springfield,” said Todd Hamilton, Superintendent for Springfield Schools. “Springfield schools continues to be humbled by the community support for our students, programs and facilities.”
The new Hamlin baseball fields will offer a comfortable place for youth to participate in baseball clinics and for families to watch college baseball throughout the spring, summer and fall.
“We are thrilled at the opportunity to improve the level of baseball in our community, but even more so by the opportunities presented through this partnership to serve local youth in meaningful ways,” Olsson said, “We will accomplish this goal by working with the Huddle Up Foundation, Kenny Niles 108 Baseball Academy and student-athletes from Bushnell University by connecting with Springfield Public Schools to identify and meet critical needs.”
“Bushnell University and Springfield Public Schools have been ideal partners on this project, without their cooperation and shared vision, this new facility would not be possible,” Richardson said. “We are excited to bring collegiate baseball to the Springfield community and to provide a high-quality facility for local kids to use and to be proud of.”
The overall project cost will be approximately $3.0 million to redevelop the fields, dug outs, concession stand, seating for 2,000, a press box, and other amenities that will make watching baseball an affordable pleasure for families throughout the area.
Bushnell University is a leading Christian university in the Northwest offering undergraduate degrees based in Christ-centered liberal arts and distinctive graduate programs focused on wisdom, faith, and service. Founded in 1895, and historically affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, the College Scorecard reports that Bushnell offers students the lowest average annual cost for Oregon four year regionally accredited private universities. Bushnell enrolls students from throughout Oregon, the Northwest, across the nation, and around the world in its seven academic schools: Arts & Science, Business, Leadership and Technology, Education, Nursing, Counseling and Psychology, Music, Nursing, and World Christianity. Bushnell fields 15 athletic teams that compete in the NAIA and the Cascade Collegiate Conference.
