MORGANTOWN —
Fairmont State University, seeing a chance to upgrade its baseball facilities, has inquired into the possibility of using the proposed baseball stadium here for some or all of its home games, the Times West Virginian has learned.
West Virginia University athletic director Oliver Luck put forth a proposal in February to build a stadium at University Town Center using tax increment funding (TIF). The stadium would be used to lure a professional minor league franchise to town and to be used as the home field for the Mountaineer baseball team, which is upgrading its program as it moves into the Big 12 Conference.
Fairmont State President Dr. Maria Rose confirmed that she had sent a letter to Luck proposing that FSU’s baseball team be included in plans to use the stadium for its home games.
“We talked with Oliver Luck a few weeks ago and asked if it would be possible to collaborate on this,” Rose said. “We sent him a non-binding letter of intent to be included in the process.”
Rose added that it was understood that “at this point it is only an idea and that no commitments have been made.”
FSU Athletic Director Rusty Elliott also indicated the school’s interest in moving their home baseball games to the new facility when it is completed.
“Dr. Rose is very aggressive and wants the best things for the school’s teams,” he said.
“We are always looking for anything that will give all of our students, not just the athletes, an opportunity to be successful,” Rose said.
Fairmont State, involved in creating a new as-yet-unnamed league with the eight other football-playing schools from the WVIAC, plays its home baseball games at Mary Lou Retton Park.
“If you ranked the baseball facilities in the WVIAC, our home field would be in the middle, maybe even the upper third of the facilities,” Elliott said. “The field is good but the dugouts are really shabby. We are always looking to make things attractive for the players and to put forth a good image.”
Elliott believes if FSU’s baseball team were to play in a new minor league park it would increase attendance at games.
“When you play a sporting event you want people to come and watch,” he said. “The players enjoy it when people are there, and we would want them to come out and have fun and enjoy themselves.”
A few years back, when there were plans for a water park in Fairmont, those plans called for a new minor league baseball stadium to be built to attract a team, but that fell through when the water park project was scrapped.
The search for a minor league team to move to Morgantown has already begun and sources say there has been interest shown by a couple of leagues.
Having two college teams using the field would not create much of a problem with a minor league team as short-season Class A teams do not begin their regular season until the middle of June.
Senate Bill 631, sponsored by state Sen. Bob Beach, was introduced in late February and requested 600 acres at University Town Center for the project.
The plan to use TIF to finance the project will be just the second time that type of financing has been used in the state of West Virginia, according to Jason Donahue, the real estate broker for the development.
The TIF financing plan was passed by a 3-0 vote by the Monongalia County Commission at the end of May.
Luck has had experience in building stadiums, having been behind the new professional soccer stadium’s construction in Houston, where he was president of that franchise before coming to Morgantown to take on the athletic director’s job.
Email Bob Hertzel at bhertzel@hotmail.com. Follow on Twitter @bhertzel.
Fairmont State Sports
FSU looks to use new ballpark
No commitment made with WVU to share stadium
- Fairmont State Sports
-
-
Cobb named Atlantic Player of the Year
Fairmont State’s Chelsea Cobb was named the Daktronics Atlantic Region Player of the Year and outfielder Holly Frampton was a first team all-region selection. Freshman Courtney Iacobacci was a second team all-region selection.
-
Three Falcons earn All-WVIAC honors
Thee Fairmont State University baseball players earned All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors, the league announced Wednesday.
-
FSU sweeps major WVIAC softball honors
Fairmont State University’s softball program took home all four major postseason awards given out by the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
-
Caridi challenges FSU to ‘be brave’
Tony Caridi’s message Saturday evening to Fairmont State University’s student athletes, coaches, administration, alumni and friends was simple, yet very compelling, especially during this time of change in Falcon athletics.
-
Falcons fall short in tourney championship
West Virginia State defeated Fairmont State, 3-1, in game two of the WVIAC Tournament Finals to clinch the WVIAC Tournament Championship. FSU picked up a 4-1 victory early in the day to force a second game.
-
Falcons, State to clash for softball title
Fairmont State University and West Virginia State softball teams will clash today for the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship.
-
COLUMN: Davis, Monroe set to lead FSU
As early impressions go, Garrett Davis could not have made more of a favorable one in the eyes of Jason Woodman.
Woodman, Fairmont State’s first-year head football coach and a Marion County native, certainly knew about the senior middle linebacker before he even took the gig last December. -
Falcon ‘D’ shines in 40-18 win: PHOTOS
As spring games go, Fairmont State University’s annual Maroon-White contest Thursday evening at Duvall-Rosier Field ran pretty much to form.
Using a modified scoring system that awarded points to the defense for turnovers and stops, the Falcons’ Maroon (defensive unit) came up with three turnovers and a number of stops to roll to a 40-18 victory over the White (offensive unit) in front of more than 500 fans eager to get their first glimpse of the new-look Falcons. -
N.C. point guard signs with Falcons
Fairmont State might have its point guard of the future.
Second-year head coach Jerrod Calhoun announced his first signing for the 2013-14 season on Thursday, as the program welcomed North Carolina standout Caleb Davis into the Falcon family. -
Falcons wrap spring with Maroon-White tonight
For most local fans, tonight’s spring game marks not the beginning of a new era of Fairmont State football but a first glance.
And if nothing else, these 2013 Falcons will have a different look. - More Fairmont State Sports Headlines
-
Cobb named Atlantic Player of the Year
