ROCK HILL, SC--The Winthrop Ballpark, which first opened on February 10, 2001 and was dedicated on March 24 of that year before a crowd of 1,540 fans, is a $3.5 million state-of-the-art baseball facility, hosted its first collegiate game on Feb. 10, 2001.
A record 1,905 fans showed up in 2003 when the Eagles faced Big South rival Coastal Carolina on April 26.
The 1,800-seat ballpark is one of the finest on-campus baseball facilities in the entire Southeast. Built by Leitner Construction Company of Rock Hill, Phase I of the Winthrop Ballpark construction featured new dugouts, press box, concession stand, restrooms, ticket booth, and lighting for night play. It took approximately 180 days to complete the phase I of the project. Phase II of the project, which was made possible through the generosity of an anonymous donor, was completed during the summer of 2007. The new features include a locker room, coaches offices, players lounge, an indoor hitting area, new outfield fencing, a roof over the seating area, and a centerfield batters eye/sunscreen.
"I truly believe that this is the last piece of the puzzle for our program to be the best it can be," says head coach Joe Hudak. "This is a very exciting time, not only for Winthrop baseball, but for baseball in Rock Hill. We want our new facility to truly be a community ballpark to be used by American Legion and Dixie youth baseball in the summer months after our season is completed. I'm extremely grateful to the Winthrop Board of Trustees, President DiGiorgio and Athletic Director Tom Hickman for making this possible."
Winthrop's baseball program has been very successful since it was begun in 1980. Over its 27 years, Winthrop baseball has averaged nearly 33 wins per season as the Eagles have compiled an overall record of 787 wins and 445 losses along with six ties for a .638 winning percentage. The home record at Eagle Field is even more impressive as Winthrop has recorded a .764 winning percentage with a record of 513-157-5 under Hudak and his predecessor Horace Turbeville.
