BC joined the ACC in 2005. They were given five years to build an ACC quality field. It opened yesterday. The game went eighteen innings. But for the first time BC has lights.
http://bceagles.com/news/2018/...th-epic-contest.aspx
It can’t hurt recruiting of right handed power hitters to not see a 387 sign in the left center alley anymore. Plus the wind constantly blowing in off the reservoir.
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Did you go to the game? Hope you don't mind the tangent, but Northeastern is off to a heck of a start, wondering how they looked.
Now that my kids are done playing I don’t do cold weather baseball.
They just now got lights for the first time? Wow
Long overdue. As I recall they used to use the old field for parking for football games. Most of the fans that attended games, and I don't think there were many, watched from the parking garage behind the field. Radio crews for visiting teams set up in the parking garage. When son's team played there in 09 or 10 he and a catcher were sent to the bullpen when the starter began to struggle. Bullpen was beyond the outfield fence. Unfortunately, the gate was locked. He and teammate had to climb the fence. Just as he began to get loose, head coach headed to the mound to yank the starter. Fortunately, when the HC signaled for him to come in, someone had unlocked the gate so he did not have to climb the fence a second time.
It was a bad situation, unacceptable in the ACC. Congrats to BC Baseball on the new facility.
3and2Fastball posted:They just now got lights for the first time? Wow
The previous field was used for football tailgating. They laid 4w8’s on the field and let cars drive on them.
MTH posted:Long overdue. As I recall they used to use the old field for parking for football games. Most of the fans that attended games, and I don't think there were many, watched from the parking garage behind the field. Radio crews for visiting teams set up in the parking garage. When son's team played there in 09 or 10 he and a catcher were sent to the bullpen when the starter began to struggle. Bullpen was beyond the outfield fence. Unfortunately, the gate was locked. He and teammate had to climb the fence. Just as he began to get loose, head coach headed to the mound to yank the starter. Fortunately, when the HC signaled for him to come in, someone had unlocked the gate so he did not have to climb the fence a second time.
I think one year TPM’s son pitched for Clemson the visiting bullpen was partially under the parking lot. ACC teams complained. It was moved to the outfield.
9and7dad posted:It was a bad situation, unacceptable in the ACC. Congrats to BC Baseball on the new facility.
The new field is over the town line in Boston. It turned into a political situation in a politically corrupt city. I’m guessing palms had to be greased. Had the property been in Newton (campus is there) the delay wouldn’t have occurred.
Congrats to BC and their major contributors for finally investing in their baseball program. Also in the ACC, the Virginia Tech Hokies made some huge improvements to their baseball field (see below) that very closely resembles their football stadium. I saw the construction last year, and looking forward to the finished product. Maybe with these new facilities both BC and VT can get out of the ACC cellar. ;-)
RJM - Your comment about this being 8 years in the making got me to thinking about some of the "recruiting pitches" my son and I heard about new fields, facilities and locker rooms. Nine years ago, there were two local D1 programs in particular that had told us of their upgrade plans and showed us blueprints. One of them got a new field last year, but did not add the indoor hitting cage, and bullpen they planned to. The other school hasn't made any changes whatsoever. The school my son played for had plans to upgrade their locker room while he was being recruited, but they didn't get around to it until his junior year.
What I learned in hindsight - don't believe any of these field, facility, locker room improvement "sales pitches" or timelines . The coaches have very little influence over these, and things move slowly for a non-revenue sport. The economy is a huge factor as well, when they decide to make these investments.
As always, JMO.
The new field was thirteen years in the making. It’s eight years late. Every year I asked a new parent if the new field was part of the recruiting pitch. They were told it was with political snags.
In Boston political snags over stadiums means don’t hold your breath. The Red Sox, Patriots and Revolution (soccer) were all going to get new facilities that dragged on for years and never happened.
I heard the biggest issue with this field was traffic and lights with the people on a bordering neighborhood street. 300 people at a baseball game doesn’t create a traffic jam. I’ll bet someone freaked out the lights went on in the first game played there (went 18 inns).
Saint Joseph’s built a beautiful new field in Philadelphia. I was at a game last spring. I asked why it didn’t have lights. The person pointed behind the field at a house and suggested I ask the owner.
My son has played at St. Joe's in Philadelphia several times. That is the prevailing story I've heard about the lack of lights, though I've never heard it pinned on one particular neighbor. It could very well be that one neighbor who stopped it however, I never bothered to ask specifics. If you've never been in that neighborhood, it is beautiful. BIG money in that part of Philly. Amazing homes.
SJU’s field is in Lower Merion. The median income is 150K.
Jeez they live in a city, would they know the difference between light pollution and lights on at the ball field 
... Traffic?? Really, anyone ever attempt to drive around greater Boston area in the afternoon? Funny how the impression of traffic differs - where I'm at now if there's 5-10 cars waiting at the light people get impatient. 
I would think it's still going to be tough to recruit for BC due to location... If you're good enough for ACC/D1, smart enough to get into one of the schools, then would you choose a southerly locale or the most northerly one in the ACC? Even with the dome they put over the football field during the winter, it's down right cold to play in March, April, and well sometimes May...
Neighborhood traffic is different than city traffic. Lights shining in your window is different than city illumination. While Brighton is part of Boston the area is residential not city streets.
BC does have difficulty recruiting. The best players in the area go south. When Vanderbilt won the national championship their #1, #2 and closer were from MA. Their RF was from MA.
The top rate New England players go south. BC gets the second tier NE players. The southern players who come north are typically second and third tier players the coach hopes will mature. Several years ago Tony Sanchez went fourth in the draft. He was from Miami. Out of high school not one ACC or SEC was interested.
Chris Shaw is a player who has bucked the trend. He’s a local kid close to becoming a MLBer.
http://www.milb.com/player/ind...r/R/hitting/2018/ALL
Many dreams of wonderful facilities got back-burnered when the recession lingered so long. The recovery is why you're seeing them come to fruition finally. These things affect the ability to raise the money needed.
The money was always there for BC. They’ve done a lot of building over the past ten years. They’ve expanded the campus with purchases over the past ten years. The field was a City of Boston issue.
