DMACC Bears News
Posted 6/30/09
DMACC Announces Plans for new Baseball Field on the Boone Campus
DMACC students set to help build new “Field of Dreams”
Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) announced plans today to build a new baseball field on the DMACC Boone Campus. Construction is set to begin in August and completed in time for next year’s baseball season. It will be built with the use of in-kind support, private dollars and not from College operating funds.
“Coming off their second straight appearance in the College World Series, Coach Dan Fitzgerald and the DMACC Bears Baseball team will get their own ‘Field of Dreams’ to play on next year,” said Tom Lee, Provost of the Boone Campus. “The new field will validate the quality of our baseball program and improve attendance and recruiting.”
DMACC’s Board of Trustees approved the plans at this month’s meeting. Lee said the team has been looking forward to this project for the past few years, but a number of donors have recently stepped forward. The effort has so far attracted nearly $240,000 worth of financial commitments, including $50,000 from the Boone Campus Foundation.
“Thanks to some special people in the community, DMACC will have a new baseball field,” said Lee.
The DMACC team, until now has played in Memorial Park, a city park on the north side of Boone. The new field will be located just west of the main academic building and close to athletic and training facilities on campus. Lee, DMACC Athletic Director Orv Salmon and Coach Fitzgerald will meet with architects next month. Ground breaking is set for early August.
To offset some of the costs, students from DMACC’s Civil Engineering Technology, Land Surveying and Building Trades programs are helping to layout and construct the new baseball park.
“We anticipate building the field in stages,” said Lee. “But, our priority is to design and create a first class ball field in preparation for next season.”
“We’re excited about our team’s success and the impact this new baseball park will have on the team and College,” said Rob Denson, President of DMACC. “All of our athletic teams are making important contributions by enhancing the reputation and college experience at DMACC.”
The DMACC Bears Baseball team had a 55-11 record, advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II College World Series for the second year in a row and placed in the top ten. The team was led this season by two First Team All-Americans-- infielders Jake Astor of North Liberty and pitcher Patrick Cooper of Danville, KY. Astor was also named NJCAA Division II Player of the Year.