City of Fort Collins and Colorado State Dedicate City Park Baseball Field Sept. 7

A cooperative effort between the city of Fort Collins and Colorado State University has created a new home for CSU baseball and improved facilities for the community. The renovated City Park South Ball Field will be officially dedicated at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, at 211 S. Bryan. Refreshments will be served following the dedication. The event is free and open to the public.

"This is another example of a partnership between the city and CSU that benefits the entire community," said Fort Collins City Manager Darin Atteberry. "I’m pleased that we were able to work together to provide a facility that supports high-quality baseball for all of Fort Collins to enjoy."

With the construction of an indoor practice facility and expansion of the Student Recreation Center at CSU, the Colorado State club baseball team needed a new place to practice and compete. The city of Fort Collins and CSU joined forces to renovate and improve the existing baseball diamond at City Park. As a result, City Park South is now a field capable of hosting intercollegiate and semi-pro teams.

The new field will accommodate baseball for a number of different groups including the Colorado State Club Baseball Team – the current NCBA National Champions, the Fort Collins Foxes, Fort Collins youth baseball and other groups that have a need for a baseball-specific facility.

"Sport Clubs and athletic competition are an integral part of the student experience at Colorado State," said Blanche Hughes, vice president for Student Affairs at Colorado State. "When we identified the need to restructure the fields on campus to accommodate more CSU students in sport activities, we made a commitment to find a new home for the baseball club team. We are very pleased that the partnership with the city of Fort Collins could result in a facility that creates this new home for our highly successful baseball club team, while also creating a public baseball facility in the city of Fort Collins."

The new field features noticeable upgrades including:

–     grass infields,

–     greater distance to and height of the outfield fence,

–     fence topper along all fencing,

–     upgraded lighting for night baseball games,

–     bullpens down both sidelines,

–     expanded dugouts to safely accommodate more players, and

–     upgraded irrigation to meet needs of infield grass.

The dedication on Sept. 7 will recognize the partnership between the city of Fort Collins and Colorado State University that made the project a reality. Also at the dedication, the NCBA National Champions Rams baseball team will be recognized for their achievement this year.

Several individuals from the city of Fort Collins and CSU will attend the dedication including Darin Atteberry, city manager of Fort Collins; City Council members; Parks and Recreation Board members; Marty Heffernan, Culture, Parks, Recreation and Environment director; Blanche Hughes, vice president for Student Affairs; Anne Hudgens, dean of Students; Judy Muenchow, executive director of CSU Campus Recreation; Fred Haberecht, CSU landscape architect; and Taylor Smoot and Quinn Girrens, ASCSU president and vice-president.