NT Daily Article on Softball Field Renovations

[UNTLifer]

NT to renovate Denia Park for softball team

Softball team expects to have top-notch playing surfaces

Julie Goldberg

Staff Writer

June 26, 2003

This summer, NT will kill two birds with one stone when it renovates two fields at Denia Park.

The fields will not only be home to the NT softball team in its inaugural season, but they will also serve as a way for NT to give back to the community.

"Everyone will benefit from these improvements," said City of Denton Parks and Recreation director Ed Hodney.

"The key is, we can get UNT and the prestige of NCAA Division I softball and new facilities at Denia Park at no cost to the city."

The upgrades, fully funded by NT, can start once plans are presented to the Parks and Recreation Department at a Denton City Council meeting in July.

University and city officials have made a verbal agreement but are still working out legal details. The renovations will actually start the following day.

"We hope to go to city council in July and have the fields done by mid-August," Rick Villarreal, NT athletics director, said.

Upgrades to the fields include the installation of scoreboards, putting new infield and outfield grass surfaces in and updating the fences to meet NCAA standards.

Construction of new bleachers and a bullpen are also in the plans for the new fields.

Area softball players will also benefit from the renovated fields.

The Denton youth softball league and area high schools will play their games and practice on these fields when NT is not.

"These fields will give these girls a chance to play on the same fields as college level players," Villarreal said.

The NT summer softball camps will also make use of these fields. The camps are currently using the fields this summer for the camps and will continue using them next year.

"I know what I want it to look like and if it is maintained correctly then it may be the best field we play on all year long," said softball head coach Stacey Segal.

"I think right now we are just fortunate to have a place close to campus. A lot of teams don't have that."

Denia softball league players will also receive discounts to attend NT softball camps and receive free admission to tournaments hosted by the Lady Eagles.

The Lady Eagles will use these fields for practice and host the North Texas Fall Classic during the 2003 pre-season. They will play all other fall games on the road.

NT softball plans on building a permanent stadium next summer after they acquire land from Liberty Christian School.

This will leave the city with about $40,000 in improvements to the fields at Denia Park.

"I really believe that after they are all done we will have one of the finest playing surfaces around," Segal said.

Borrowed field or not, that shouldn't affect the Lady Eagle's level of play.

"In my three year s at Southern Miss we played on a borrowed field," Villarreal said.

"We made the college world series twice."

If NT can pull that off, no one will be complaining about what field they are playing on.