A new brick wall started to be put in place this past Sunday at Stan Galle Field. The historic baseball field has been longing for fence renovation down the visitor side and this past Sunday started the process.
What is commonly believed to be America’s oldest active collegiate baseball field, Stan Galle Field has sourced memories of America’s past time since 1889. With great history comes great looks, and everyone on the Spring Hill Campus all recognizes the unique ivy brick wall that sides Quinlan Hall and the Badgers dugout. Now that historic look will soon be mirrored on the visitor side.
After a tough loss Sunday, the Baseball team tore down the old chainlink fence that was there and started the process for an outside contractor to finish the job. The chainlink fence has not been the greatest look for the historic field and the team is excited about new renovation.
The buzz around the locker room intrigued me to get some insight into how they feel towards the brick wall. Veteran right-hand pitcher AJ Fell had this to say, “I think the new brick wall is going to truly complete Stan Galle Field. The chain-link fence is out of date and I think the new brick will preserve the historic attributes of the field while making it appear much nicer.” Senior shortstop Danny Rodriguez said, “It will fit into the aesthetic look of the field and create a new nice spot for fans to enjoy the game as well”.
Not only does the wall create a better look for the field, but it also creates a new way the field plays on the left side. For so long, the weak chainlink fence did not have a solid impact on the left foul territory. Baseballs slipping under the fence, weak ricochets, and tricky navigation all created problems for the team. But now with a solid, sturdy brick wall, the foul territory has some new learning curves. Fell went on to say “The obvious factors definitely come into play such as how the ball will come off the wall compared to the fence, but I don’t think it will be too much of an issue”. Someone who the wall affects, more importantly, is outfielder and utility player, Grayson Williams, who had something to say about the new wall. “I don’t think it will have too much of an impact on the way it plays but players on the left side of the field will definitely have to be more aware of where the fence is. Running into a brick wall is much different than running into a chain-link fence” said Williams.
The new wall is steadily coming and has more than just an aesthetic look. With a new way to play the left foul territory, and the potential affect it has in recruiting down the road. The bricks will leave an impact on this program for many years to come. The next home game for the Badgers is March 28th, against Tuskegee University, so come out and look at the renovated field and defending SIAC Champions.
