GREENSBORO, NC – UNC Greensboro Director of Athletics Nelson E. Bobb announced Thursday that the Spartans have been selected to host the 2007 Southern Conference Softball Championship on May 9-13 at UNCG Softball Stadium.
This marks the first time since 2000 that UNCG has hosted the softball championship and only the second time since joining the SoCon in 1998.
"I cannot even begin to truly express my level of excitement at the news that UNCG will be hosting the 2007 SoCon Championship,” said UNCG head coach Jennifer Herzig. “Along with the rest of the Spartan Softball family, I am absolutely ecstatic.”
The softball team moved into its brand new $3 million UNCG Softball Complex just before the start of the 2006 season.
"The new stadium and surrounding facility not only compliments our other excellent venues, but most importantly provides the softball team with an outstanding home field," said Bobb last year before the beginning of the Spartans’ inaugural season at their beautiful new field.
The complex includes a stadium with 500 permanent seats, a press box, a concession area behind home plate, spacious restroom facilities, a grounds storage building and an indoor hitting facility. The air conditioned indoor hitting facility is more than 1000 square feet in size and contains two 12x70 batting cages.
The press box, located atop the seating behind home plate, is 360 square feet. It contains two broadcast booths and a main working media area designed to seat 10-12 people. It is also heated and air conditioned and has phone and cable television facilities.
The field itself is a Tiff Sport Bermuda Grass with a 90 percent profile and sand field. The outfield is surrounded by a 10-foot high wall and is 200 feet down the lines and 210 feet to straight away center field. There is a 10-foot red stone warning track surrounding all sides of the field. The scoreboard is 15 x 28 and sits above the fence in right-center field. It has an inning-by-inning scoreboard display, LED message board and is controlled by a wireless system.
Herzig added, “Not only are we extremely honored to be hosting this tournament at UNCG this coming spring, we are very excited to be able to welcome all of the SoCon players, coaches, family, and friends into a stadium that we are so very proud of. I am positive that the level of dedication and commitment which the administration of UNCG's athletic department places into each and every event hosted on our campus will ensure that this is a top-notch championship to be enjoyed by all."
Georgia Southern claimed the 2006 title by defeating Furman 4-0 in the second game of the championship round at Frost Stadium in Chattanooga, TN.
- UNCG -