MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A West Virginia University alumnus will be a part of the new renovations that will take place at the baseball facilities at Monongalia County Ballpark.
The WVU Foundation announced that Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick will provide a donation to the WVU Baseball program, which will bring a new 8,200 square-foot structure to the soon-to-be renamed Kendrick Family Ballpark at the Monongalia County Baseball Complex.
The announcement was made in collaboration with WVU, the Kendrick Family, and Monongalia County Commission.
“This is just another great collaboration between the county and WVU Athletics,” said Monongalia County Commission President Sean Sikora. “It’s something that we’re very proud of, to have this facility and now to make steps to make improvements to it,” he said.
The addition to the ballpark will include an indoor batting and pitching facility that will be located next to the Kendrick Family Ballpark at the Monongalia County Baseball Complex clubhouse. It will have two regulation-size pitching lanes, a soft-toss area, and two full-size batting lanes. Both areas will be outfitted with state-of-the-art Trackman technology to help players and coaches. According to Sikora, members of the community will have a chance to use the new amenities.
“And that’s one thing that we’ve been adamant (about) with the whole ballpark since it’s opened, that it be seen as a community asset.” said Sikora. “And we have opportunities for our community to actually utilize the facility,” he said.
The ballpark has a capacity of 3,500 spectators and is now in a position to host collegiate tournaments alongside any high school games that are hosted regularly at the site. Sikora hopes that with the addition of state-of-the-art facilities, tourism around the county and the area where the ballpark is located (between the University Town Center and West Ridge Business District) will help the positive momentum that has led to Monongalia County becoming the host of the Big 12 Diving Championships continue.
“With the regionals and even the possibilities of having regionals here, the super regionals have created a real buzz,” said Sikora. “Attendance has been great, and it’s just a great thing for that community and the whole development,” he said.
The first game that will be played at the newly christened Kendrick Family Ballpark at the Monongalia County Baseball Complex is scheduled for Friday, March 8, as WVU hosts a doubleheader against BYU. A dedication ceremony to honor the Kendrick family will be announced at a later date, with members of both WVU and the Monongalia County Commission expected to be in attendance. As the Monongalia County community prepares to see the new renovations to the ballpark, Sikora and the rest of the commission are excited about the potential the new facilities can bring.
“Mr. Kendrick is a Major League (Baseball) owner, he is a WVU alumnus, so to be a part of the West Virginia baseball program, I think, is a natural fit,” said Sikora. “And I’m just happy that we are moving forward,” he said.