Home plate remains where it has rested at Buckeye Field since 1988, but little else remains the same for the Ohio State softball complex after $5.9 million of stadium renovations. The historical and record-breaking 2009 season marked the first in the 1,500-seat New Buckeye Field – a facility that is undoubtedly among the finest in the country.
In addition to nearly doubling Buckeye Field’s previous capacity of 800, the new stadium includes indoor and outdoor batting cages, a three-plate bullpen, a 650-square foot press box, player clubhouse and locker room, new dugouts, coaches and umpires dressing room and concession areas.
Dedicated April 11, 2009, with the game against Illinois, Buckeye Field quickly became the site of some record-breaking crowds. Some 1,277 fans watched Ohio State defeat the Illini 5-0 after a pregame ceremony that honored the donors, administrators and construction entities that made the building possible.
The field dimensions will remain 190 feet down the left and right field lines and 220 feet to center field. The Kentucky bluegrass and Perennial Rye make Buckeye Field a player-friendly surface.
Already with one of the finest playing surfaces in the Big Ten and with lights that were installed in 2003, the renovated stadium will give Ohio State softball a complete facility that will serve the Buckeyes for years to come.
