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USF pitchers are bound to like a recent reconstruction of the baseball field.
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Renovations Reshape Baseball Field
USF’s baseball field, has always looked a little strange. Its unusually long center field required outfielders to cover more ground while the undersized left field pinched the left outfielder near the fence. Now, a recent reconstruction has given every player his rightful space.
The reconstruction, which lasted from mid-February to early March, reshaped the baseball field from an asymmetrical arrowhead to a traditional curved configuration. The long center field was shortened (from 468 feet to 400 feet) and the shallow left field expanded (from 300 feet to the traditional 330 feet.) New fencing was also installed behind left field, and the backstop was extended from 15 to 30 feet from home plate.
Head baseball coach Nino Giarratano said renovating the field has been a goal since 2000. “Our facility needed to catch up with other facilities in our conference,” Giarratano said. “The changes will make it a more traditional-looking field, which will also help with recruitment.”
USF struggled to find funding and an ideal time to do the construction. After sending out for a preliminary rendering of a reconstruction last December, Giarratano decided it was finally time to improve the field. Despite a tight schedule, it took only three weeks to raise the necessary $400,000 from parents, alumni, and USF athletic supporters.
Senior pitcher Kevin Rose said the renovations make for a whole new field. “Before construction it was really easy to hit a home run down left field because the field was so short,” Rose said. “(The new field) makes it easier for me to pitch to right-handed hitters because they have to work extra hard to get it over the left field fence, even though it does give the outfielder a few more feet to cover.”
Although the field did not violate any West Coast Conference regulations, visiting teams and fans often commented on its strange shape. “The guys from other teams would take one look at the field and kind of laugh, not because it was un-playable but because it just looked kind of funny,” said senior outfielder Nick Cirbo.
Due to the construction the team played its first nineteen games on the road and is more than happy to be back on their home turf. “The hardest part about the renovations was being on the road for so long,” Rose said. “The field looks great and you can definitely see and feel the difference.”
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