by Brandon Call
Daily Lobo
The UNM Softball Complex is getting a much-needed makeover.
The $1 million renovation includes new dirt and grass, a rain-resistant warning track, new lighting and extra seating for the softball stadium.
The renovation will benefit fans and players, head coach Ty Singleton said.
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"It will help the fans and players tremendously," he said. "The field will look nice and be bigger. It will give us a nice place to play at home, and we'll be able to host most games and tournaments in the future."
UNM will install a dirt surface similar to the Dodgers Dirt used by the MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers. The outfield will have sport bluegrass, the same surface used in Isotopes Stadium. The field will also be made level, removing the crown it once had.
Singleton said the field will be easier to maintain for the grounds crew.
"We will have a better irrigation system and better materials to work with," he said. "The dirt and grass will be much improved. It will look nicer, and drainage when it rains will be better."
The softball field will be enlarged, extending the field to 205 feet down the lines and 225 feet from left-center to right-center.
Senior pitcher Kelly Ninemire said the new dimensions will make the park pitcher-friendly.
"Obviously, it will be harder to hit a home run now," she said. "As a pitcher, that's great. I don't want to think about giving up home runs, but it will become more difficult for hitters to go the distance."
There will also be more space for the outfielders to cover, Singleton said.
"There's a couple of things we are trying to do to deal with having bigger gaps and a bigger center field that the bigger field will have," he said. "We are trying to recruit faster athletes that can cover the bigger outfield. Our current athletes will work a lot on conditioning and quickness."
Junior center fielder Samantha Hughes said she is up to the challenge.
"I see extending the field as an advantage to us," she said. "We're fast, and we can cover lots of ground. Also, the fence will be shorter, so we can jump up and rob people of homers."
Outfield bleachers will also be added to the stadium, which will accommodate an extra 1,000 fans.
Singleton said one of his main goals is to increase student attendance at home games.
"We need to a do a better job getting the word out to students," he said. "We want to designate an area as the students' section. Hopefully, they'll embrace that and want to come out and support the team."
With the construction, UNM can't host fall exhibition matches. The Lobos will also miss out on the Wildcat Invitational hosted by Arizona.
Singleton said he is not worried about his team's lack of playing experience this fall.
"It's more of a challenge, no doubt about it," he said. "Baseball has been nice to let us use their field in the morning. We'll also have inter-squad scrimmages and really be able to work on fundamentals longer. In the long run, the payoff is well worth the sacrifice."
Singleton, in his second year of coaching at UNM, said the renovation to the stadium fits with his reasons for coming
to UNM.
"I see a lot of potential for softball in Albuquerque," he said. "One of the reasons I took this job is because this can be one of the best softball settings in regards
to fan attendance and getting people out to the game. We have good weather, and with the lights, a lot of people will be able to come out. If we can fill this place, it creates a huge home-field advantage for us."
