The new Workman Family Softball Field at Millikin University will be ready for the softball team's first home game on March 26 against MacMurray College.
The new facility was made possible by a generous $2 million contribution from Millikin Trustee Gary Workman '65 and his wife, Judy. The Workman Family Softball Field will feature an artificial turf infield and outfield surface, lights, chair back and bleacher seating for 300 people, dugouts, batting cages, restrooms, concessions area and press box. The Workman's have been invited to the home opener to be thanked and honored for their investment.
In a recent interview with the Herald & Review, Head Coach Katie Tenboer said, "It's almost surreal for our student-athletes, honestly. Coach Whitney Sowers and I give them updates as often as we can about the progress, and we cannot wait to have our first practice on it."
The type of dugouts and field dimensions, Tenboer said, are some of the traits that make the facility unique, not to mention the field turf. There's also a standing balcony area at the top of the bleachers for more fans.
The locker room has custom wood lockers, speakers, TVs, a refrigerator, study tables and is connected to restrooms.
"We hope it's a place where the team hangs out for reasons other than to prepare for practice and games," said Tenboer. "A place they can grow together, study and that feels like home."
The Workman Family Softball Field is located on Oakland Avenue in the west portion of Millikin's campus. Home plate is located in the southeast corner of the field with batters facing northwest. The field is 200 feet down the right and left field lines and 220 feet to straight away center field.
Construction on the Workman Family Softball Field began in summer 2016. The contractor for the turf field itself is St. Louis-based Byrne & Jones Sports, a division of Byrne & Jones Construction Inc. Byrne & Jones Sports was the contractor for the new turf field at Millikin's Frank M. Lindsay Field in 2014. The architectural partner of the project is the Decatur, Ill., firm BLDD, who designed the grandstands, dugouts and other parts of the field. John S. Whitlock is the principal on the project for BLDD.
The Workman Family Softball Field will be the first on-campus home field for the Millikin softball program.
Click here to read more in an article from the Herald & Review.