Photo via SUHornets.com

By Katherine Seidl

Here at Shenandoah University, we have the motto “21 Sports, 1 Team,” but sometimes it feels as if the baseball and softball teams are forgotten. I say this because the baseball and softball teams do not have their own sports facilities.

Having to use city-owned recreational fields is very inconvenient for our student-athletes on the baseball and softball teams.  Derrick Snider from the Baseball team states “ we should have a field because we are nationally ranked,” he also stated that they have to leave practice early to make way for a high school baseball team that uses the field after them.  Kristen Weadon from the Softball team states that “It is not fair that the team has to share the field with a high school team and even a little league baseball team.” Being kicked off the field hinders the ability to learn more during the season and it is not fair to the college athletes who have come to our University here to play.  

Not having our own field to play on also comes with gameday disadvantages. On the softball field there is a lip from the infield to the outfield which has caused many injuries. The baseball field also has a lip on the infield grass as well as patchy spots that cause “bat hops,” these have already led to a broken nose.  a player on the softball team has fractured her pelvis

Having our own baseball and softball facilities would mean our own locker room, our own equipment and our own brand. If we are truly “21 sports, 1 Team” – we need to show that on our own fields.  We are the “Diamond Sports” of Shenandoah University and we deserve our own facilities.