A little information on baseball stadium

GrayEagle · June 3, 2005

A few notes gathered from several sources....

Coldwell Banker New Century Solutions Ballpark will open Thursday, June 9 in time for their first home game with the Graham Roughnecks. The stadium remodeling is about 80-90% complete now and will go to the wire; completion should be done by Wednesday, June 8. The Outlaws will have played two road games by then.

The ballpark will be about twice as large capacity-wise (3,500) as that of any other league members. Most are in the 1,000-1,500 range and two are below a thousand. The left and right field foul poles seem relatively short to me at 305-310 feet but center field is 390, perhaps the deepest in the TCL. All home games will start at 7:35 p.m.

Don't expect too much from the Outlaws this year. Last year they had the worst record in the TCL at 17-35 (when they were at Granbury). This year, several team members are involved in the regional baseball playoffs and may not be reporting by opening date. Even worse, Eddie Degerman, their best pitcher is a junior at Rice and becomes eligible for the major league draft and may be playing professionally this summer.

At least things are befinning to fall in place for an eventual baseball team at North Texas. If you noticed in the June Ask the Commissioner someone posed the question about baseball at NT and WW replied that we were working on it.

MeanGreen61 · June 3, 2005

From a June 3rd DRC article.

The addition of Auten is just one of several last-minute maneuvers the Outlaws are trying to complete in time for their first season. The team is also in the process of completing renovations on Coldwell Banker New Century Solutions Ballpark.

The field was home to the Liberty Christian baseball team through the high school season. Outlaws officials have been rushing to move the fence back and complete a series of other upgrades in time for the team's home opener against Graham on Thursday.

"We still have a whole lot of work to do," Hampton said. "We are doing about $110,000 worth of renovations to our field and are about 80-90 percent done. We won't finish until Wednesday."

Hampton and TCL commissioner John Blake both said they were confident that the Outlaws would complete renovations to the field in time for the first TCL game in Denton.

"We are pretty happy with what they were able to do," Blake said. "It was a little nerve racking when we went through that time wondering if they were going to have a stadium built or not, but they were able to get a corporate partner and put significant money into renovating their field."

NT80 · June 3, 2005

"We are doing about $110,000 worth of renovations to our field
"It was a little nerve racking when we went through that time wondering if they were going to have a stadium built or not, but they were able to get a corporate partner and put significant money into renovating their field."

I'm surprised they are renovating and spending $110,000 on a field to use for basically 3 months. This Liberty Christian baseball field after the TCL season will be changed again into the UNT softball stadium. No mention either about how funding is going towards the new TCL/UNT baseball park to be built next to this. It is to open for the TCL season in 2006 "IF" they get enough funds to build it.

Edited June 3, 2005 by NT80

GrayEagle · June 3, 2005

$110,000 seems like a lot but I'd think that the vast majority of that expense is transferable to the new softball facility. Only pulling the fences back in and resurfacing the diamond would be lost in converting it to a softball field. That also could be a shared expense with the university as well so that the Outlaws will be reimbursed. But, since they are virtually giving us the baseball stadium when it is built, they may give us the renovation cost as well as a tax deduction (for them). Also, the two park namesakes could be picking up all or part of the tab.

I believe that about the time of the announcement concerning the new baseball park it was mentioned that $400,000 had been (pledged or) collected. I would think that fund-raising would be easier once the potential donors can see tangible evidence of a product.

PlummMeanGreen · June 4, 2005

$110,000 seems like a lot but I'd think that the vast majority of that expense is transferable to the new softball facility. Only pulling the fences back in and resurfacing the diamond would be lost in converting it to a softball field. That also could be a shared expense with the university as well so that the Outlaws will be reimbursed. But, since they are virtually giving us the baseball stadium when it is built, they may give us the renovation cost as well as a tax deduction (for them). Also, the two park namesakes could be picking up all or part of the tab.
I believe that about the time of the announcement concerning the new baseball park it was mentioned that $400,000 had been (pledged or) collected. I would think that fund-raising would be easier once the potential donors can see tangible evidence of a product.

Boyhowdy, this is one that just fell from the heavens into the laps of NORTH TEXAS and Mean Green athletics.

What I liked hearing the most last winter was when the Denton Outlaw's owner said they'd wait a year before they'd build a new baseball stadium at Eagle Point because they wanted to do it right and with class.

NT80 · June 4, 2005

Expanded article from DRC, mentions attendance towards the end.......

..............................................................................................................

Outlaws use top pick on Auten

07:24 AM CDT on Friday, June 3, 2005

By BRETT VITO / Staff Writer

EULESS — The Denton Outlaws picked up an insurance policy for their pitching staff on Thursday.

Collin Auten, a right-handed reliever from North Central Texas College, was one of several players from across the area to attend a tryout camp for TCL teams before the league's annual media day.

The Outlaws had the first pick in the draft and snapped up Auten to help bolster what will be a short-handed staff when the team kicks off its inaugural season on Tuesday with a game at Mineral Wells.

The Outlaws' roster includes seven pitchers who will be playing with their college teams this weekend at the NCAA Division I Regionals.

"With all of the guys we have playing in regional tournaments for these first couple of weeks, we are a little concerned with what we will have on the mound," Outlaws general manager John Hampton said.

Eddie Degerman, a right-handed pitcher from Rice, could be one of the players the Outlaws will not have available at the beginning of the season. Degerman is perhaps the top player on the Outlaws' current roster, although he might not be a member of the team for long.

Degerman is a junior and is eligible for Major League Baseball's First-Year Players Draft later this month. The former Grandada Hills, Calif., standout has an 8-1 record this season with a 2.87 ERA.

Auten pitched 22 2/3 innings for NCTC last season with a 5.16 ERA and could help fill in if Degerman signs a contract and begins a professional career.

The addition of Auten is just one of several last-minute maneuvers the Outlaws are trying to complete in time for their first season. The team is also in the process of completing renovations on Coldwell Banker New Century Solutions Ballpark.

The field was home to the Liberty Christian baseball team through the high school season. Outlaws officials have been rushing to move the fence back and complete a series of other upgrades in time for the team's home opener against Graham on Thursday.

"We still have a whole lot of work to do," Hampton said. "We are doing about $110,000 worth of renovations to our field and are about 80-90 percent done. We won't finish until Wednesday."

Hampton and TCL commissioner John Blake both said they were confident that the Outlaws would complete renovations to the field in time for the first TCL game in Denton.

"We are pretty happy with what they were able to do," Blake said. "It was a little nerve racking when we went through that time wondering if they were going to have a stadium built or not, but they were able to get a corporate partner and put significant money into renovating their field."

Hampton was confident the Outlaws would be competitive despite not having any holdovers from the league's inaugural season. Several other teams have brought back players who participated in the league's first campaign.

"Our coaching will be a big part of helping us be competitive," Hampton said. "Coach [Derek] Matlock is a great motivator and teacher who will get guys ready to play every day. That is important because a lot of kids are tired and worn out after playing through the college season."

Matlock and the rest of Outlaws will have the benefit of playing in what Blake anticipates will be an improved league now that the TCL is heading into its second season. The TCL averaged 450 fans per game last year and experienced its share of bumps in the road.

Blake said the league has paid particular attention to standardizing rules regarding rainouts and improving the quality of officiating heading into the TCL's second year. The prospect of adding a Denton team to the league is just one of the changes Blake hopes will help the TCL grow and boost its attendance average to close to 1,000 fans a game.

Hampton said the response he has received from the Denton community has been tremendous.

"I am curious to see what will happen on Thursday," Blake said. "I want to see how the Denton team will draw."

meangreen2012 · July 15, 2005

So Title IX isnt the reason we don't have a baseball team? I thought that was the reason. If UNT does get a baseball team, that makes my mind up on where to go.