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Hoglund Ballpark
Hoglund Ballpark will enter its 21st season as the home of the Jayhawk baseball program in 2008 and continues to undergo improvements to ensure it remains one of the finest college baseball facilities in the Midwest. The park is named after former Jayhawk Forrest Hoglund, who played at Kansas from 1955-56. In 2006, the Jayhawks added a state-of-the-art video board which measures 16 feet-by-28 feet. The video screen rivals any in the country. The Hoglund Indoor Training Center, which was completed in 2005, features three 75-foot full length batting cages and three portable pitching mounds. The all turf facility is 105 feet long by 54 feet wide and is heated and air conditioned for year-round use. In 2006, the Big 12 champs played host to four nationally ranked teams, including a series in late April against No. 8 Oklahoma. Earlier in the season, the Jayhawks broke the single-game attendance record, drawing 2,324 fans to a showdown with No. 13 Wichita State. In recent seasons, the foul lines were brought in 20 feet to make new dimensions of 330-392-330, while both dugouts and the backstop were refurbished with brick. Additions at the conclusion of the 2003 season included turf walkways to the plate, as well as a turf ring that surrounds the home plate area. Prior to the 2003 season, construction was completed on five new turf batting cages down the left field line, while a new home bullpen was constructed and a blacktop surface added to the right field bullpen area. Before the 1999 season, $1.8 million in renovations were made in an effort to improve Hoglund Ballpark. Seating capacity was increased, a new pressbox was built, dugouts were expanded, additional men’s and women’s restrooms were added and a plaza entrance is now featured. A gift from Forrest Hoglund primarily funded the renovations. In 1990, a new backstop netting was installed, which replaced a chain link structure and improved spectator sight lines. A batter’s eye in center field and picnic area behind the left field fence were constructed just before the start of the 1992 campaign. In 1987, more than $450,000 in renovations were made to the Jayhawks’ home facility, which was referred to as Quigley Field at the time. In addition to the closed deck bleacher seating, a new press box, restrooms, concession stands, public address system, computerized scoreboard and lighting were installed. A major gift from Hoglund and Neil Mecaskey funded the stadium improvements and the lighting. For 27 years, Quigley Field was the home of the Jayhawks. Built in 1958, the field was named after one of the most successful athletics directors in Kansas history, Ernest C. Quigley. KU athletics underwent a major resurgence under Quigley from 1944-1950. Quigley himself was a well-known figure in the sports world. He spent 33 years as an umpire in the National League, and worked six World Series. He also was a nationally-known football and basketball official. In these capacities, he worked three Rose Bowls, 19 AAU basketball tournaments and one Olympic basketball tournament.
A Message from Forrest Hoglund "The University of Kansas is a great institution that has achieved its status through a combination of state support and private philanthropic funding. Ever since we were students, Sally and I both hoped to participate in that tradition, and one of my interests was baseball. "My vision is for Kansas to have a first-class baseball program. One of the big needs we had was to create an outstanding ballpark to play in, one that would make the players, recruits, coaches, fans and students proud. That need provided the incentive to give the gift to make the ballpark a reality. An innovative architectural design and a premier location on campus also helped us to meet that goal."
Forrest E. Hoglund |
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