{"id":172911,"date":"2026-05-07T15:29:35","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T19:29:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/?p=172911"},"modified":"2026-05-11T16:02:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T20:02:41","slug":"improvements-coming-to-softballs-lafayette-street-field","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/07\/improvements-coming-to-softballs-lafayette-street-field\/","title":{"rendered":"Improvements coming to softball’s Lafayette Street Field"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As Bates softball celebrates its 50th anniversary, the program is moving forward with a significant transformation of its home facility at Lafayette Street Field \u2014 marking a major investment in the future of softball at Bates. Fundraising efforts have met the $1 million dollar threshold thanks to gifts from a number of donors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m incredibly excited about what this project represents for our softball program and for the entire department,\u201d said Director of Athletics Stacey Bunting. \u201cAs we celebrate 50 years of Bates softball, this project both recognizes the program\u2019s history and invests in its future, creating a space that will support championship-level competition and enhance the daily experience for our student-athletes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Softball
Softball alumni gathered for a celebration of the 50 years of Bates softball on May 2. (Rene Roy for Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Improvements include professional-grade drainage and installation of artificial turf. Drainage issues, along with lingering snow early in the season, have often required the softball team to travel for practice and games. Now they won’t have to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTurfing the field gives us consistency and a true home we can take pride in,\u201d said softball Head Coach Kat McKay. \u201cIt will allow us to train as needed and compete at a high level regardless of the weather.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There will be upgrades to the fencing and safety features. \u201cIt\u2019s a much more modern, sleek, and functional look,\u201d said Chris Streifel, director of capital planning and construction. \u201cDefinitely an improvement on the current chain link fence.\u201d The field will be strategically reconfigured as well, with a new scoreboard in left field. Grandstand seating and a custom windscreen are also part of the improvements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leadership Gifts Officer Chelsea Turner \u201994, who played softball throughout her time as a student at Bates, remembers a season the team traveled to Trinity College for their first game having never practiced outside. The weather and the field forced them to practice in Clifton Daggett Gray Athletic Building. Inspired by her experience as a player, Turner worked with donors on the project to transform the softball field.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"This
This rendering shows the planned improvements to Lafayette Street Field. Work on the project will begin after Memorial Day, and the field is expected to be ready for play by late August. In addition to artificial turf, the improvements include grandstand seating, a new fence, and new placement for the scoreboard.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For softball\u2019s coach, there\u2019s no doubt this project is \u201ctransformational,\u201d but McKay also points out that her players have \u201cnever made excuses \u2014 they\u2019ve made it work everywhere \u2014 different spaces, different fields, tough conditions, even traveling for \u2018home\u2019 games.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trustee Jeremy B. Chase \u201991 and Christine Werthmann Chase \u201992 were lead donors for the project, sponsoring a match to help reach this initial goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team is heading into their postseason, having swept Trinity in a double header on Senior Day at home, but Coach McKay is already anticipating the future, with gratitude. \u201cThis gives our current players \u2014 and our alumni \u2014 something they\u2019ve earned after 50 years of softball: a home field they can be proud to call theirs. This elevates everything we do and sets us up for where we want to go as a program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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