By Hunter Cookston
The Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs baseball program boasts a rich history. Just last year, the team made it to the NAIA College World Series championship game, falling just short of claiming their third title in school history. In addition to that achievement, TWU has won 24 conference championships and 12 conference tournaments.
Despite such a storied success, Athens Insurance Stadium, home of the Bulldogs, has lacked some crucial features off the field. The absence of lights, in particular, has made it impossible to play later in the day. However, this is all about to change.
A special donation from Dr. Bobby Goodfriend and his wife Wendy will fund major improvements to Tennessee Wesleyan’s facilities. These upgrades include the installation of lights, a new scoreboard with video capabilities, and an expanded outfield wall. Renovations to the concourse area are also planned.
Coaches and players for the Bulldogs are eagerly anticipating these new additions.
“You look at the dynamic for the program. This program has had so much history of success, and now to be able to complement it with a nice, upgraded facility will help us host regionals and set our players up for future success,†said Associate Head Coach Mike Mendoza.
The Bulldogs are a program that consistently makes it to the NAIA tournament, so the opportunity to host the opening round in the future is an exciting prospect. Not only will the new facilities attract current players, but they could also play a key role in recruiting future talent.
“It’s about attraction. I think what that facility is going to do is bring a new level to what we’re trying to accomplish—its street appeal. When you combine that with the legacy of our program and fine-tune the representation of what we’re about, it’s going to be a strong selling point for future recruits,†Mendoza added.
The future of the Tennessee Wesleyan program is bright, quite literally, with the new lights coming in. But for now, the Bulldogs are focused on the present.
“This team is really talented, we have great coaches, and I feel like we have the ability to go all the way, like we plan to do,†said Junior Cody McGill.
Construction is set to begin in May, with the project expected to be completed by late summer or early fall.
Edited and Produced by Tyler Harwell
Video editing by Lucia Bonfante
Video by Tate Gray