Cliff Hagan Stadium
Cliff Hagan Stadium (officially named Shively Field at Cliff Hagan Stadium) is a baseball stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. It was the home field of the University of Kentucky Wildcats college baseball team from 1969 through 2018. The stadium, which held 3,000 at its closure, was part of the Bernie A. Shively Sports Center, which also includes the school's track and field facilities in an adjacent stadium. The stadium was renamed in 1993 in honor of Cliff Hagan, the Basketball Hall of Famer who had played at Kentucky during the 1950s under Adolph Rupp and returned to Kentucky as athletic director after his professional basketball playing days. It was extensively renovated in 2002. Following its final 2018 season, while construction was ongoing on its nearby replacement, it was used for UK baseball summer camps.[2]
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| Former names | Bernie A. Shively Sports Center (1969-1993) |
|---|---|
| Location | 700 Jerry Claiborne Way Lexington, Kentucky 40506 |
| Owner | University of Kentucky |
| Operator | University of Kentucky |
| Capacity | 3,000 |
| Field size | Left Field: 340 feet Left Center: 365 feet Center Field: 390 feet Right Center: 350 feet Right Field: 310 feet[1] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1968 |
| Opened | 1969 (renovated 1990, 2002) |
| Closed | 2018 |
| Demolished | Pending |
| Construction cost | USD4.2 million (2002 renovation) |
| Tenants | |
| Kentucky Wildcats (NCAA) (1969-2018) | |
In the wake of the Wildcats' surprising success in the 2006 season, which saw them win a regular-season Southeastern Conference title for the first time in over 30 years, coach John Cohen was signed to a five-year contract extension. A clause in the contract commits the university to either renovating or replacing the stadium. If construction on a new or renovated stadium does not start in 2008 or sooner, Cohen was free to walk away from the contract without a financial penalty. However, Cohen left the program at the end of the 2008 season for his alma mater Mississippi State, where he is now athletic director. His assistant Gary Henderson was then given the head coaching job.[3]
In 2013, the Wildcats ranked 37th among Division I baseball programs in attendance, averaging 1,893 per home game.[4]
On October 21, 2016, Kentucky announced plans to build a new baseball park across Alumni Drive from the UK Arboretum, with seating for 2,400 and additional temporary bleacher and berm seating to raise capacity to as much as 6,000. The stadium, named Kentucky Proud Park, opened in the fall of 2018 in advance of the 2019 season.[5] UK is considering building a new tennis complex on the Cliff Hagan Stadium site once the new ballpark opens.[6]
References
- "Cliff Hagan Stadium". University of Kentucky. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- "2018 Kentucky Baseball Camps". Kentucky Wildcats. March 20, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- Harvey Lewis (June 6, 2008). "Cohen Leaves For Mississippi State Job, Henderson Hired". Archived from the original on February 6, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- 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.
- "Construction of New Baseball Stadium Approved" (Press release). Kentucky Wildcats. October 21, 2016. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- Blackford, Linda (October 21, 2016). "UK trustees give go-ahead for $49 million baseball stadium". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved October 24, 2016.