Marshall University announces site of new baseball stadium

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - The new home of Marshall baseball will be on a plot of land at 2nd Avenue and 22st Street.

The Marshall University administration presented a revised baseball stadium project statement Friday, which was unanimously approved by the Board of Governors during a special meeting in Huntington.

The decision comes after a board meeting in April when Marshall University President Brad D. Smith thanked Herd Nation for its patience and passion as the final details, “dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s,” were being worked out for the stadium.

The new station will be adjacent to the Marshall University Dot Hicks Field.

Smith said while the stadium was originally slated to be built along 5th Avenue, the newly designated site was selected because it will be developed at a lower cost, with an accelerated time to completion and will leave the 5th Avenue and 24th Street site for future development.

“Marshall is ready to see this long-anticipated ballfield come to fruition,” Smith said. “Our partners, including the city of Huntington, are ready. Our intention to build this ballpark has never wavered and while we encountered a major hurdle in the COVID pandemic, it’s never dampened our enthusiasm to see this project to its completion.”

In the coming weeks, the university will begin the RFP process to identify a development partner with the goal of making a final selection in October to begin moving dirt. Detailed criteria, including a public-private partnership and a desired construction timeline of 15 months, will be part of the initial request. Initial work on the 2nd Avenue site will include an environmental analysis and other pre-development tasks.

Marshall Board of Governors Athletics Committee Chair Chris Miller said Friday, “The Board of Governors continues to be supportive and steadfast in its commitment to have a baseball stadium on the campus of Marshall University.”

“Too many times we have heard, ‘I will believe it when I see it’ and we are all eager to hear the sound of equipment moving dirt to begin construction of our new baseball facility,” Miller said.

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams said he is confident there will be collegiate baseball played in the city in the coming months.

“I’m pleased that President Smith, Athletic Director (Christian) Spears and the Marshall University Board of Governors have settled on an aggressive plan for the construction of the new baseball stadium,” Williams said. “My conversations with them have reinforced my confidence that I have a determined and trusted partner in Marshall University. Marshall is the heart of our city, and I am enthused that we can take on big projects that will benefit our university, city, state and region. We are demonstrating what ‘We are Marshall’ means.”

Fundraising for the baseball stadium continues through the Herd Rises campaign, and Athletic Director Spears is confident and focused on the future.

Spears said there are different ways for donors to give, including texting GOHERD to 801801 or by calling the Big Green at 304-696-4661 or going online to herdrises.com

The goal is for the stadium to be ready for the 2024 season.

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