‘”Wow,'” Blinn’s new head baseball coach recalled of his reaction to the Buccaneers’ brand-new locker room. “Right away I thought, ‘If it’s not the top facility in the State of Texas, it’s definitely in the top two or three.’ I’d also say it’s on par with just about every Division I school in the State of Texas. It’s pretty unbelievable.”
The 45-locker clubhouse is just one of many new additions and improvements to the stadium and its accompanying facilities, which are in the final stages of development ahead of Blinn baseball’s first game of the season.
The public is invited to attend a grand re-opening ceremony scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at Leroy Dreyer Field prior to the Bucs’ season-opening ballgame against Weatherford College at 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 27, in Brenham, Texas. The ceremony will feature addresses from Chancellor Dr. Mary Hensley, Blinn College District Board of Trustees Chair Jim Kolkhorst, Blinn athletic director Scott Schumacher, Hart, and Blinn sophomore baseball player and team captain Tate Bethel.
“As a team, we’re very excited,” said Bethel. “We’ve been here during the fall semester, watching as the new buildings have been built and we’ve watched the progress, and the anticipation to get inside and see everything for the first time has been building along with it. I know I speak for everybody on the team when I say that we’re grateful that Blinn has provided this for us, we’re very grateful for what they’ve done, and we can’t thank them enough.”
Come January, Bethel and his teammates will have access to a 5,500-square foot fieldhouse which, along with the player clubhouse, includes lounge furniture, tables and chairs; television monitors, a training room; a laundry room; a shower room; a team kitchen; a club deck with tables and chairs for special guest and recruit seating; and several other amenities.
The bottom level of the fieldhouse features a fully renovated home dugout, complete with storage compartments for equipment and a new protective netting designed around increased player safety.
Fans attending Blinn’s home games also will enjoy a revamped experience. The Leroy Dreyer Field renovations include an improved concession stand which will feature a new service window, a new hot dog roller, a pretzel warmer, a popcorn machine, a microwave, an ice machine, a Coca-Cola cooler, and a new digital menu board.
Fan restrooms have also been remodeled and are now fully accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In February, 600 new padded seats will be installed to replace the park’s prior seating.
Renovations to the stadium’s playing surface, outfield wall, and backstop also are scheduled for February.
The Bucs’ former player locker room has been renovated and repurposed into offices for Hart, associate head coach Eric Weaver, and assistant coach Wade Regas.
“When you look at the entire package of what has been provided for us, it just shows that Dr. Hensley and the Blinn board of Trustees are going to do whatever it takes to support our student athletes,” Hart said. “To have a place where we can come together as a team and develop bonds and go through the highs and lows of the season together, it’s going to be huge for our guys.”
Hart also expressed excitement for what will now be an enticing recruiting process for future Buccaneers.
“I don’t think there’s any question that our new facility will be a major point of appeal for recruits coming here to visit,” said Hart. “Between the Coatney Center and now Leroy Dreyer Field, we’re really offering all the bells and whistles that you could ever ask for. Guys are here trying to achieve their dream of playing Division I college baseball and beyond, and I think you’re now going to get the best of both worlds here at Blinn. There won’t be one player in the country who visits Blinn who doesn’t leave saying ‘Man, that place is beautiful.'”
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
