Mike D. Lane Field was a baseball venue in Florence, Alabama, United States. It was home to the North Alabama Lions baseball team of the NCAA Division I ASUN Conference. The facility had a capacity of 1,500 spectators and is named for former head coach Mike D. Lane who has the most wins in North Alabama history.[1]
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| Former names | University Field (1984–2007) |
|---|---|
| Location | 615 N Pine Street Florence, AL 35630 |
| Coordinates | 34°48′33″N 87°41′08″W / 34.809256°N 87.685569°W |
| Owner | University of North Alabama |
| Operator | University of North Alabama |
| Capacity | 1,500 |
| Field size |
|
| Surface | Grass |
| Scoreboard | Electronic |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1983 |
| Opened | 1984 |
| Closed | May 12, 2024 |
| Demolished | July 2, 2024 |
| Tenants | |
| |
History
editPlay began at University Field in 1984 as Mike D. Lane took over as coach of the Lions baseball team.
In 1989, the stadium held its first ever NCAA Regional Tournament as the Lions beat two other Gulf South opponents to take home the regional championship.
In 1990, the stadium would host its first ever night game.
University Field would go on to host the NCAA Regional Tournament three more times(1995,1997,1999.)
In 2008, University Field would undergo a major renovation. New grandstands and a new entrance way was added to the stadium. 2008 also saw a new name for the facility. In honor of his retirement, University Field would be renamed Mike D. Lane Field.[2]
On April 3, 2019, the city of Florence gifted the university a plot of land next to the softball field to relocate Mike D. Lane Field.[3] Mike D. Lane Field will be demolished after the 2024 season to make way for Bank Independent Stadium and an adjacent new baseball facility. The stadium held its last game on May 12th as the Lions tied 4-4 with North Florida as the game ended after the 13th inning due to the Ospreys’ travel curfew. [4] [5][6][7]
The demolition of Mike D. Lane Field began on July 2, 2024 as the grandstands were torn down and the lighting fixtures were removed from the site.[8]
Features
editThe field's features include a grass playing surface, a press box, an electronic scoreboard, dugouts, a brick backstop, restrooms, and concessions.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "UNA baseball coach Mike Lane retires after 25 years". www.enewscourier.com. BLOX Content Management System. October 23, 2008. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- ^ "Mike D. Lane Field". UNA Athletics. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- ^ Harley Duncan (April 3, 2019). "City of Florence gives UNA land to relocate Mike D. Lane field". www.florala.com. The Flor-Ala. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- ^ @UNABaseball (April 25, 2024). "🗣️ Calling all UNA Baseball Alumni ⚾️Join us for the final weekend series at Mike D. Lane Field on Saturday, May 11th! We'll have a cookout on the right field deck at 1pm followed by a pregame ceremony prior to the 3pm first pitch. Join us as we take a walk down memory lane 🦁" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Bank Independent Stadium". University of North Alabama. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- ^ Cohan, Max (12 May 2024). "UNA Baseball ends senior day in historic draw with North Florida, 4-4". waaytv.com. WAAY 31. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ @UNABaseball (May 12, 2024). "Due to a travel curfew for North Florida, today's game has ended in a tie. We are back in action on Tuesday at Mississippi State" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Delinski, Bernie (July 6, 2024). "Demolition signals start of UNA stadium project". TimesDaily. Florence. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
External links
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