Facility Improvements Highlight Summer at Merrimack

With most of student-athletes away for the summer, the Athletics Department has taken the time to improve many of its facilities before the 2011-12 season.

Earlier this summer, the backstops at the baseball and softball fields were renovated. At the baseball field, the backstop was brought closer to home plate to create more of a separation between the baseball diamond and Warrior Field and to limit foul balls flying into the bleachers and onto the turf field.

The softball backstop was renovated, as a new black fence replaced the antiquated one. Bullpen fences behind home plate of each mound were also constructed.

New wind screen signage will go from foul pole to foul pole beginning this season on the baseball diamond, while new wind screen dugout signage will be added to the softball field.

Over at the Volpe practice field, the sod is currently being replaced and will significantly improve the condition of the field when preseason begins in mid-August.

In addition, the scoreboards on the baseball, softball and turf fields will be painted, and new gold lettering will line the scoreboards.

New signage will also be added inside the Volpe Gym, while the championship banners that border the Volpe road will be updated to honor Merrimack’s three NCAA Tournament teams (hockey, men’s tennis, softball) and its Northeast-10 Champion men’s tennis team from 2010-11.

With construction on the Volpe Expansion Project set to begin in the fall, sports medicine is relocating to the Ash Building and will be set to handle all of Merrimack’s student-athletes in just two weeks.

The first home event is just over a month away with the men’s soccer team opening the 2011-12 home campaign on September 1 against Post at 7 p.m. in the Merrimack Invitational.