By: Andre Galindo
It’s almost finished.
All that is left to have baseball games at Simpson University field is the roof on the dugouts, the outfield fence, infield dirt, and the visitor's bullpens.
The baseball team has only had 1 winning season since they started their program, finishing the field and getting better facilities could be the push they need to become a winning program. Few NAIA teams in the Cal Pac Conference have an on-campus field for games and practice. Having both may have an impact on the number of recruits who would be interested in Simpson. Better facilities equal more recruits. Many schools with better recruits involve the marketing of their facilities and what they have to offer over other schools.
The Athletic Director/Head Coach of Simpson Baseball Dan Tating is optimistic for the field to be done soon. In an interview on Feb. 3rd, 2022,Tating stated, “There have been plans to have games on this campus for 20 years, now we are at a point where it is that close where we could play here within a couple of weeks.” All that is left to have games at the Simpson University field is the roof of the dugouts, the outfield fence, infield dirt, and the visitor's bullpens. If everything goes as planned in the upcoming weeks, fans should be able to start attending the baseball games for the first time in Simpson history.
But what does this field mean for others around campus and the graduating seniors apart of the baseball team? Former player and now pitching coach Andrew Cisneros had a few comments:
“The support from Dr. Hall and the rest of the school about funding it for the scoreboard, lights, and making it the premier place to play in the conference is exciting to see!” The big push for this field being done is really for the graduating seniors this year and the significance it holds to them. The 4th year player Logan Gomes spoke about the hardships of playing at Tiger Field. Gomes stated,
“It is hard to play on a field that you never practice on and the conditions at Tiger Field could be a lot better.”
There was also insight from the true Canadian first-year Brady Sandes about his desire to have the baseball field here at Simpson. “To have our field on campus would mean more fans for us, more support for us, and overall, a greater playing experience that I wish to have at my next 3 years at Simpson University.”
The future is bright for the Simpson Baseball program with lights and a new scoreboard going up soon. The next few years seem to be filled with excitement and full of opportunities for the up-and-coming Red Hawks.
Sources: Interview: Daniel Tating, Andrew Cisneros, Logan Gomes, and Brady Sandes.
February 4th, 2022
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