East Central announces baseball facility expansion
Credit: East Central Community College
After a historic 2023 season, East Central Community College is excited to begin the first phase of a comprehensive three-phase expansion project at the Clark/Gay Baseball Complex.
“We are ecstatic about this project. This is another step to get our facility to where we ultimately want it to be,” said 17-year head coach Neal Holliman. “We’ve recently added new lighting and a padded outfield wall, and this upgrade will really take us into an entirely different category in this league. Student-athletes, just like all of us, are visually driven so we expect these upgrades to continually help us recruit and retain the best players in the local area, state, and beyond.”
Phase one of the project includes the construction of bathrooms, storage facilities, an umpire area, and a viewing deck. The development will also include a skybox in phase two and additional bleacher seating in phase three. The new facility, located on the first base side of the field, will be integrated under the existing covered area.
Anticipated completion for phase one is set to coincide with the start of conference play in the 2024 season.
“Over the years, Coach Holliman has done an outstanding job of engaging fans and supporters of the ECCC Warrior Baseball program. Those individuals and local businesses have been very generous in their donations to make the Clark/Gay Baseball Complex what it is today,” said Director of Athletics, Paul Nixon. “The College continued its commitment to the Department of Athletics with the addition of the state-of-the-art LED lights on all our outdoor athletic venues this past year. I want to thank Dr. Gregory and the ECCC Board members for their dedication to improving Warrior Athletics. This stadium expansion is a much-needed addition that will benefit our student-athletes, their families, and the Wall O’ Sound band as it will provide bathroom facilities to their practice field.”
In 2023, the Warriors concluded with an impressive 37-20 overall record and clinched both the MACCC and NJCAA Region 23 championships. Notably, their region title secured the college’s first-ever bid to the NJCAA World Series in Enid, Oklahoma. The team looks to build upon this success as they prepare for the 2024 season.
