CSUSM Begins Construction of New Athletic Fields

CSUSM Begins Construction of New Athletic FieldsThis week Cal State San Marcos began Phase I construction for new baseball and softball fields. The campus has over 25 acres dedicated for the use of athletic facilities, but the land has sat vacant for years while plans were developed and donors identified. Grading of the land has already begun and in the coming days irrigation will be installed along with top soil and sod. Future plans for stands and press boxes will be part of Phase II."Our immediate goal is to have a place on campus for our athletes to practice so that we don't have to rely on somebody else's fields and schedules," said Athletic Director Tom Seitz. Since the inception of men's baseball and women's softball at CSUSM, the teams have been playing home games and practicing at various sites around North County."Through the generosity of several individuals and companies, we are able to finally begin construction. This has been a longtime goal of the Athletics Department and the University. It is great to see it become a reality," added Seitz. The fields are expected to provide a boost in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes. "It is very difficult to recruit players to a campus that has no home field. This will be a great help," said Head Baseball Coach Dennis Pugh. Pugh was instrumental in creating the CSUSM baseball program four years ago.  Head Softball Coach Dave Williams agreed, "Most players were used to nice facilities at their high schools before they came to CSUSM, so this will greatly benefit the recruiting process." The fields will also add to the overall look of the CSUSM campus as they will be situated along the perimeter of the campus on Twin Oaks Valley Road and Barham Drive.Seitz said that the new fields and future facilities will serve as the "front porch" to the University and expects that they will bring additional community support and school spirit for the respective programs, as evidenced by the recent turnout for men's and women's soccer games held at the Mangrum Track and Soccer Field. While this is a great step forward, this is just the beginning of our overall master plan for CSUSM athletics," stated Seitz. "Adding on-campus athletic facilities is a necessity to move our program to the NCAA Division II level."Anyone interested in helping complete the facilities project is encouraged to call the CSUSM Department of Athletics at 760-750-7101.