Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: 'The Deuce' gets a makeover, becomes Herd's home until 2021
2/28/2019 8:46:00 AM | Baseball, Word on the Herd
Marshall plays its first home games at renovated field this weekend
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A week ago today, leaders from Marshall University and Huntington unveiled a plan for a new baseball stadium on the corner of 5th Avenue and 24th Street. The goal, MU athletic director Mike Hamrick said, is for the new state-of-the-art, 3,500-seat ballpark to be open for the 2021 season.
That's two years from now – twenty-four short months. In the meantime, Marshall officials wanted to end the baseball program's constant life on the road. This weekend, starting with a Friday-through-Sunday non-conference series against Binghamton, the Thundering Herd will host games at its formerly part-time home at the YMCA Kennedy Center on Ohio River Road, which sits beside Route 2 a few miles north of Huntington. Colloquially, the ballfield is known as The Deuce.
Hamrick, his team within the athletic department and the kind folks at the Y came together to gussy up the field in anticipation for a full slate of games this season and next. Marshall will host all home games at The Deuce, with the exception of single mid-week games against Virginia Tech (March 20) and West Virginia (March 27) at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston.
Marshall has 26 games scheduled at the Route 2 ballpark this season.
"With the new baseball stadium still a couple seasons away, we really felt the need to do something to improve our field situation not only from our competitive standpoint, but to also enhance the welfare of our student-athletes," said Jeff O'Malley, Marshall's associate athletic director and chief of staff. "We devised a cost-effective plan to improve the playing field at the Kennedy Center, and with the help of John Farley, Triton Construction and the YMCA, our plan became a reality.
"We have been very pleased with the outcome and I know that our baseball team will be appreciative of the efforts as they are able to have a true home field advantage."
The list of improvements and additions is a long one: new warning track surface; increased foul territory area behind home plate and in front of the dugouts; new synthetic grass in foul territory; new home and visitors dugouts; new windscreens; new backstop net; new fence cap; new fencing in various areas; concessions building; batter's eye; press box WiFi; better sightlines for fans; new visitors bullpen; new storage area for baseball equipment; new turf in batting cages and bullpens; and a new flag pole.
Those upgrades mean the coaches, players and fans will have a better game experience when visiting The Deuce this season. But, as O'Malley pointed out, the full-time move to the YMCA field was not only about aesthetics.
Student-athletes will spend fewer days on the road, which means they'll sleep in their own beds and eat better meals. There should be a benefit academically, too, with fewer hours spent in vans, buses and hotel rooms and more time spent close to campus.
Wade Martin, a junior pitcher from Wheelersburg, Ohio, pointed out an additional perk.
"I'm a local guy," he said. "My home is 40 minutes down the road. I told my parents, grandparents, extended family and friends, 'Hey, we're not playing in Charleston anymore; we're playing in Huntington.' They were so excited. This cuts down on their trip to see me play.
"Not only do we get to stay at home and have a home field advantage, but we're sleeping in own our beds and not eating fast food and living on the road all of the time."
Last Thursday was a big victory of a different kind for the City of Huntington and the Marshall athletic department. And when fans make their way to The Deuce this season, it will be easy to see there were a bunch of little wins in the offseason, too.
Games scheduled for Kennedy Center Field:
Friday, March 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Binghamton, 2 p.m.
Saturday, March 2Â Â Â Â Â Binghamton, 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Binghamton, 1 p.m.
Friday, March 8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Eastern Michigan, 2 p.m.
Saturday, March 9Â Â Â Â Â Eastern Michigan, 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, March 9Â Â Â Â Â Eastern Michigan, 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 10Â Â Â Â Â Â Eastern Michigan, 1 p.m.
Friday, March 15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â FIU, 2 p.m.
Saturday, March 16Â Â Â FIU, 2 p.m.
Sunday, March 17Â Â Â Â Â Â FIU, 1 p.m.
Friday, March 29Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Middle Tennessee, 3 p.m.
Saturday, March 30Â Â Â Middle Tennessee, 2 p.m.
Sunday, March 31Â Â Â Â Â Â Middle Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, April 3Â Â Â Western Carolina, 3 p.m.
Friday, April 12Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â WKU, 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 13Â Â Â Â Â WKU, 2 p.m.
Sunday, April 14Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â WKU, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, April 16Â Â Â Â Â Â Ohio, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, April 23Â Â Â Â Â Â Morehead State, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 1Â Â Â Â Morehead State, 3:30 p.m.
Friday, May 3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â UTSA, 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â UTSA, 2 p.m.
Sunday, May 5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â UTSA, 1 p.m.
Thursday, May 16Â Â Â Â Â Â Rice, 3:30 p.m.
Friday, May 17Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Rice, 2 p.m.
Saturday, May 18Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Rice, 11 a.m.
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and a seven-time winner of the National Sports Media Association West Virginia Sportswriter of the Year award. In addition to HerdZone.com's Word on the Herd, McGill is the editor of Thundering Herd Illustrated, Marshall's official athletics publication. Follow him on Twitter (@chuckmcgill) and Instagram (wordontheherd).Â
