Nevada baseball field to expand

RENO - Due to the generosity of some Wolf Pack donors, Nevada's baseball facility, Peccole Park, will get 1,225 additional seats this fall, increasing the capacity to 3,000, Athletics Director Chris Ault announced today.

The seats will be on the third base side and stretch down the left field line. They will all be of the general admission variety costing $5 each and only available for purchase on game day. They will not be sold as season seats. Special group rates will also be available.

"The new seats will be a nice addition for our exciting baseball program. They will provide another option for large groups and

youngsters to see Wolf Pack baseball," Ault said.

The majority of the funding for the $160,000 project is from donors with the remainder coming from the University's capital project fund. Construction began last week and will be finished by early 2001 in time for the home opener in February. Included in the new seating area will be a wheel chair accessible area

It marks the second expansion in as many years to the venerable baseball facility on the University of Nevada campus. Last year, the baseball program and athletic department raised private donations to add 161 seats along the first base side for baseball alumni.

Work began on the park in 1987 and it officially opened for the 1988 season with a capacity of 700. Peccole expanded to 1,500 in 1994 from some additional money donated by William Peccole, the Las Vegas land developer who was cultivated by Ault to donate the original money for an on-campus baseball facility and for whom the facility is named. An indoor batting and pitching facility and the re-sodding of the field took place in 1997. Following the 2000 season, a new outfield fence was installed.

"What this does is let us get more youths and groups into Peccole, which is something we've been prohibited from doing due to a lack of room," Nevada baseball coach Gary Powers said.

"We can now do more promotional things with the community and with groups like the Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, Little League, etc., and have a family-oriented area. This is just another step in the right direction in getting to 3,000 seats and allowing more people the opportunity to come to our games," Powers said.

Nevada, which has been to the NCAA Tournament three of the past four years, has ranked among the top 35-drawing collegiate baseball programs in the country each of the past four seasons.

The Wolf Pack opens the 2001 season at Pacific, Thursday, Jan. 25, in a three-game series and hosts Washington State at Peccole Park, Friday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. in the first of a three-day engagement. Nevada opens its initial season in the Western Athletic Conference at Hawaii-Hilo and Hawaii Feb. 9-17 and then hosts Fresno State Mar. 2-4 in the first WAC contests at Peccole Park.

For season tickets, contact the Wolf Pack ticket office at 348-PACK or stop by the Legacy Hall ticket office between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.