J. I. Clements Stadium

J. I. Clements Stadium
Clements Stadium
Location 700 Fair Road, Statesboro, Georgia, USA
Coordinates 32°25′45″N 81°46′53″W / 32.429157°N 81.781368°W / 32.429157; -81.781368Coordinates: 32°25′45″N 81°46′53″W / 32.429157°N 81.781368°W / 32.429157; -81.781368
Owner Georgia Southern University
Capacity 3,500
Record attendance 3,435 (February 25, 2017)
Field size 330 ft. (LF), 360 ft. (LCF), 385 (CF), 360 ft. (RCF), 330 ft. (RF)
Surface Natural grass; Foul Territory Synthetic[1]
Construction
Broke ground May 2004
Opened February 12, 2005
Renovated 2017[1]
Tenants
Georgia Southern Eagles (Sun Belt Conference)
(2005–present)

J. I. Clements Stadium is a baseball venue located in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. It is home to the Georgia Southern University Eagles college baseball team of the Division I Sun Belt Conference. It has a capacity of 3,000 spectators (530 chair-back seats and 2,470 stadium bench back seats) and opened in 2005.[2]

The facility is named after former Georgia Southern baseball coach J. I. Clements.[2] Clements coached the Eagles from 1949–1966 and 1968, leading the team to the 1962 NAIA National Championship. Clements died in 1974, and the Eagles' former venue was named in his honor in 1985.[3] The name was carried over when the new stadium opened in 2005.[2]

Attendance

The park hosted its first game on February 12, 2005.[2] Georgia Southern lost to No. 13 Georgia Tech 10–6.[4] The game's attendance was 2,805.[2] On February 22, 2011, the Eagles took on No. 21 Georgia Tech, and J. I. Clements Stadium saw a then-record crowd of 3,088 people. The Eagles won the game 6–5 on a walk-off walk by Victor Roache.[5] On February 22, 2012, the Eagles hosted Georgia Tech and set a new single-game record attendance of 3,258. Georgia Tech won the game 11–9.[6]

In 2013, the Eagles ranked 48th among Division I baseball programs in attendance, averaging 1,337 per home game.[7]

Features

The stadium features concessions, restrooms, dugouts, a batter's eye, luxury boxes, a press box, batting cages, offices, and a team meeting room. The Wiggins Baseball Building is located next to the field on the third base side.[2] The facility encompasses 9,000 square feet.[8]

Renovations

The stadium was renovated during the 2016–2017 offseason in preparation to host the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship. The outfield wall was replaced, a task hastened by damage caused by Hurricane Matthew. The old electronic scoreboard in left field was replaced with a Daktronics video board and a hand operated scoreboard was added in right field. The grass in foul territory was replaced by synthetic turf.[1]

Other uses

In addition to baseball, the field is occasionally used as a concert venue. On November 12, 2010, hip hop artist Ludacris performed at the stadium.[9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "J.I. Clements Stadium Gets a New Look for 2017". Georgia Southern Athletics. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 J. I. Clements Stadium at georgiasoutherneagles.com, URL accessed December 22, 2010. Archived 12-22-2010
  3. ↑ J. I. Clements at georgiasoutherneagles.com, URL accessed December 22, 2010. Archived 12-22-2010
  4. ↑ No. 13 Tech Baseball Powers Past Georgia Southern, 10–6: Jeremy Slayden, Mike Trapani and Jeff Kindel hit home runs at cstv.com, URL accessed December 22, 2010. Archived 12-22-2010
  5. ↑ "Eagles Walk Away with Georgia Tech Series Opener". February 22, 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-02-23. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Baseball Falls to Georgia Tech in the Late Innings". GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com. February 22, 2012. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2012. A stadium record 3,258 fans came out to J.I. Clements Stadium in the first mid-week contest of the year, but they went home disappointed after the Eagles fell 11–9.
  7. ↑ Cutler, Tami (June 11, 2013). "2013 Division I Baseball Attendance - Final Report" (PDF). Sportswriters.net. NCBWA. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 20, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  8. ↑ J.I. Clements Baseball Stadium at greenlinearch.com, URL accessed December 22, 2010. Archived 12-22-2010
  9. ↑ Ludacris brings hits, high energy to concert at J. I. Clements by Philip Clements at gadaily.com, URL accessed December 22, 2010. Archived 12-22-2010
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