Illini Baseball Indoor Practice Facility

#1      

Dan

Dan
Admin
Dan
"The Susan and Clint Atkins Baseball Training Center will be approximately 26,000 square feet and will include a large training space and an adjoining recruiting lounge. The training space encompasses an entire baseball infield with ceiling-mounted nets for hitting and pitching practice. The complex will be adorned with a new grand entrance for Fighting Illini Baseball. The $8 million facility will connect to the current clubhouse and locker rooms and should be completed by 2021."
https://fightingillini.com/news/201...y-susie-atkins-provides-lead-naming-gift.aspx

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1062345435770167296
 
#3      

CAIllini

CAIllini
West Coast
CAIllini
Not much love for baseball....one response? Get hockey locked in and our tier 2 sports are looking pretty solid! ;)
 
#4      

BananaShampoo

B
Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
BananaShampoo
Wow. Nice. I think Whitman has done more to upgrade our facilities in his less than 3 years than Ron Guenther did in his nearly 20 years as AD. Most impressive. Another reason we can't ever let this guy go. Dude is an amazing fundraiser.
 
#5      

FollowTisdale

F
FollowTisdale
This was desperately needed. Our baseball facilities were a joke compared to the rest of the big ten, especially for the quality of program Illinois has been. This should help a lot, indoor space is key for a cold weather program. The park itself still needs upgrades, but this is much more relevant to the players.
 
#7      

ChiefGritty

ChiefGritty
Chicago, IL
ChiefGritty
Fighter of the Nightman said:
SO earned by our baseball program! Great news, and I hope some upgrades to the aesthetics of the actual stadium are on the horizon, too.
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Yeah in the crazy stupid arms race of college sports facilities, it's nice to see a story that's neither a bad program trying to throw money at the wall in a desperate scramble to keep pace (*cough*) or a behemoth with everything adding another layer of gold paint just to park its riches somewhere.

Illinois Baseball is too good for its current facilities, and it has won its way to the money for changing that. Bravo.
 
#8      

Deleted member 649710

D
Guest
Deleted member 649710
I think it is smart to focus first on facilities that will attract top players and aid their development, before moving on to upgrading a stadium that most students, residents and alumni never visit. If the team starts attracting big crowds, then upgrade the grandstand.

Next up: Ubben and the Downtown Arena.

Whitman will buy us many more shiny new things if the Football and Basketball teams ever start coming close to maximizing their potential revenue streams.
 
#10      

jrichisamazing

J
jrichisamazing
Awesome news!

One question, maybe a dumb one. Is that roof tall enough to practice fielding fly balls? Or is that not really a common necessity for an indoor practice facility?
 
#11      

ilphotog

ilphotog
The camera never lies
Champaign
ilphotog
jrichisamazing said:
Awesome news!

One question, maybe a dumb one. Is that roof tall enough to practice fielding fly balls? Or is that not really a common necessity for an indoor practice facility?
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Not true fly balls, but you can still do drills with coaches throwing fly balls. Mainly working on footwork.
 
#12      

Oskee67

Oskee67
Champaign
Oskee67
When will they update volleyball facilities? For arguably the best sports team we have on campus, Huff Hall is not the most flattering stage to showcase them.
 
#13      

BRucks

BRucks
BRucks
Oskee67 said:
When will they update volleyball facilities? For arguably the best sports team we have on campus, Huff Hall is not the most flattering stage to showcase them.
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Hambly was against moving away from Huff. Liked the location right next to the dorms so that students could walk over to matches. Not sure if Tamas shares that view. Anyway, if downtown hockey arena goes through, the plan is to move volleyball there.
 
#16      

coryfor3

C
coryfor3
jrichisamazing said:
Awesome news!

One question, maybe a dumb one. Is that roof tall enough to practice fielding fly balls? Or is that not really a common necessity for an indoor practice facility?
Click to expand...
I wondered about that too based on the photos. And um...is it just me or does the third base line look like it is way too close to the wall? It looks like if someone rounded third base, they'd surely smack into the wall.
 
#17      

South Farms

S
near Ogden & Rt 83
South Farms
coryfor3 said:
I wondered about that too based on the photos. And um...is it just me or does the third base line look like it is way too close to the wall? It looks like if someone rounded third base, they'd surely smack into the wall.
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1. its an artists RENDERING of the place
2. I highly doubt the architect that designed it reinvented the wheel here. These types of facilities are all over college baseball, and sometimes being a little late to the party allows you to find out what works at other schools and you get to use those ideas and features in your place.
3. its not a place to play practice games. its a place to PRACTICE FUNDAMENTALS.