Consider these destinations when you plan your baseball travels:
Alex Box Stadium
Louisiana State University
S Stadium Drive
Baton Rouge LA 70893
A WPA (Works Progress Administration) project, Alex Box Stadium was completed in 1938 with 2,500 seats. The concrete and steel structure on the LSU campus was spring training home for the New York Giants in 1938 and 1939. The facility was named for Alex Box in 1943. Box, a letterman on the 1942 LSU baseball team, was killed while fighting in North Africa during World War II. Alex Box Stadium has consistently ranked atop all collegiate baseball facilities in attendance. Over three million fans have watched the Tigers play at "The Box" since 1984. The park has been renovated numerous times over the years and its seating capacity is now 7,760.
Bob Wren Stadium
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio
Collegiate coaching legend Bob Wren was honored as the namesake of the Bobcats' new ballpark when it opened in 1998 and replaced Trautwein Field. The playing field at Bob Wren Stadium is named in "Dutch" Trautwein's honor. There's a statue of Wren outside the park. Wren Stadium totals about 2000 seats, plus room for another 1000-1500 fans on grassy knolls further down the first and third base lines. The ballpark is also home to the Southern Ohio Copperheads of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League. Trautwein Field in Bob Wren Stadium is located in the Athletic Mall, between Parks Hall and the Hocking River, on South Shafer Street just west of the Convocation Center at the corner of Richland Avenue and South Green Drive.
Henley Field
1049 N Florida Avenue
Lakeland FL 33805
Opened in 1922, Henley Field was spring home to the Cleveland Indians (1924-27) and the Detroit Tigers (1934 to 1966). It is now home to the nine-time national champion Florida Southern College Moccasins. Located just off downtown Lakeland, Fla., the park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Tony Gwynn Stadium
San Diego State University
Ranked fifth best college baseball complex and second best in the western half of the United States. Opened in 1997, the playing field is named in honor of Charlie Smith, long-time head coach of the Aztecs baseball team. The facility includes a museum that chronicles the history of the school's baseball program. Gwynn Stadium is on the SDSU campus bounded by 55th Street and Remington Road in San Diego.
Mark Light Field
University of Miami
6201 San Amaro Drive
Coral Gables, FL, 33146
Originally opened in 1973, Mark Light Field has undergone steady improvement over 30 years. The University has retained the renowned baseball architecture firm HOK to upgrade the baseball facilities. The current park is charming, quirky and historic given the tremendous success of the Hurricane's baseball program. The renovated park will be named after Alex Rodriguez whose generous donation has largely enabled the renovation.
Lindsey Nelson Stadium
University of Tennessee
Opened in 1993, Lindsey Nelson Stadium is named after the Tennessee alum and sports broadcasting legend. Nelson has been honored by both the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame with its highest honors for broadcasters. The ballpark, at the southern end of the UT campus in Knoxville, is in the midst of a $6 million renovation campaign. It's bounded by Pat Head Summit Street and Todd Helton Drive.
Disch-Falk Field
University of Texas
The home of the Longhorns in Austin opened in 1975. It's named after former Texas coaches Billy Disch and Bibb Falk. Construction on a renovated Disch-Falk Field is expected to begin after the 2006 season. The park sits on the east side of I-35. On the other side of the interstate are the main campus and the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum (2313 Red River St., Austin, TX 78705).
Dedeaux Field
University of Southern California
Located directly on the USC campus and named after legendary coach Rod Dedeaux, the home of the baseball Trojans opened on March 30, 1974. Russ McQueen pitched a no-hitter as SC swept a doubleheader from California. USC won the national championship that season. Significant improvements to the facility have been made in the 2000s including a Hall of Fame on the first base side of the park. Dedeaux Field is toward the northwestern end of the USC University Park campus between Vermont Avenue (west) and McLintock Avenue (east).
