Cornerstone University is proud to announce significant upgrades to the softball stadium as the plans were released to faculty and staff as well as students at the end of the 2016-17 academic year and now to the public. The facility upgrades will include a new all-turf field as well as lights and will be finished before fall classes resume in early September.

"We are extremely excited about the upgrades to our softball facility that will take place this summer," said Director of Athletics Chip Huber. "The new turf and lights will provide an outstanding playing surface and opportunities to host and play more home games on our own campus. And we believe that the next generation of softball athletes at CU and in our Grand Rapids community will truly enjoy playing at one of the best softball facilities in West Michigan!"

The biggest change reflected will be the removal of the current infield and outfield surfaces, and replacing all of that with brand new Field Turf.  This will give the team access to practice and play as soon as the snow is melted.  "We will no longer have to wait for the ground to thaw, heave, and dry out to get on it," added head softball coach Jim Farrell.  "It also stays playable after a significant rain and the potential to host even more contests."

The addition of lighting will be significant, allowing the teams to practice some in the evenings during the fall, thus not running into working around as many class schedules.  Farrell also believes it will create summer rental opportunities and hopefully will make softball camps a possibility again.

The last change will be the new fencing and netting that will add a great new professional look to the facility.  "We are very excited about the impact the whole project will have on the recruiting process," concluded Farrell.

Construction has already started on the facility and the plan is to have the full project complete by the first week of September.

"The opportunity this new turf field will bring to not only our campus but also to the community is tremendous," said Assistant Director of Athletics for Facilities Rachel Wood. "It will give us the opportunity to reach out and get a young generation of softball players on our campus through rentals and possibly future softball camps. It will also give our other athletic teams another turf space to practice on. We here at CU are very excited and can't wait for the opportunities this will bring."

"I have deeply appreciated the patience and partnership of Coach Farrell, our softball players, and their families as we have awaited the opportunity to develop and enhance our field," said VP of Student Development Gerald Longjohn. "I'm thrilled about these improvements and the resources they will provide our team and the teams that we'll host!"

 

Source:victorysportsnetwork.com

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