Bear Stadium

Bear Stadium
Location Bruce Street, Conway, AR, USA
Built 2009 (rebuilt)
Opened February 20, 2009 (reopened)
Renovated 2011
Owner University of Central Arkansas
Surface GeoGreen surface
Scoreboard Yes
Architect Wittenberg, Delony, & Davidson Architects
General Contractor Ross Sparks Builders, Inc.
Capacity 1,000
Record attendance 732 (April 3, 2009, against Texas State)
Tenants
University of Central Arkansas Bears baseball
This page refers to the Central Arkansas baseball venue. For the demolished Denver, Colorado, venue formerly known as Bears Stadium, see Mile High Stadium.

Bear Stadium is a baseball venue in Conway, Arkansas, USA. It is home to the Central Arkansas Bears college baseball team of the NCAA's Division I Southland Conference. Rebuilt in 2009, the facility has a capacity of 1,000 spectators.[1]

Contents

History

Renovations

After the Bears' 2007 move to Division I, the UCA baseball facility was rebuilt to be appropriate to the new playing level. In the offseason between 2008 and 2009, the old facility was demolished and construction on the present one began.[2]

The newly-constructed ballpark, Bear Stadium, featured 106 chairbacks (part of a 1,000-spectator grandstand), press box, wheelchair elevator, concourse, and backstop. Following the 2010 season, a GeoGreen artificial turf surface was installed and the playing surface was raised.[2]

Events

The stadium's first game was on February 20, 2009, when Central Arkansas defeated Tennessee-Martin 11-5. In 2010, Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Goose Gossage threw out the first pitch before a Bears game against Northwestern State.[1] In 2011, the field hosted the Arkansas high school baseball championships.[3]

Attendance

The stadium's first game, held on February 20, 2009, attracted 517 spectators. A record 732 people attended the April 3, 2009, game against Texas State, the day of the stadium's official dedication.[2]

Top 10 attendance marks

Below is a list of Bear Stadium's 10 best-attended games.[1]

Rk. Date Opponent Attendance
1 April 3, 2009 Texas State 732
2 February 18, 2011 SIU Edwardsville 527
3 February 20, 2009 Tennessee-Martin 517
4 March 12, 2010 Stephen F. Austin 503
5 February 26, 2011 Eastern Illinois 484
6 February 20, 2011 SIU Edwardsville 475
7 February 19, 2011 SIU Edwardsville 447
8 February 20, 2007 Arkansas State 432
9 April 9, 2011 Texas State 427
10 April 8, 2011 Texas State 424

As of the 2011 season.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Bear Stadium". UCA Sports. Archived from the original on 2011-05-28. http://www.webcitation.org/5z1uOfnlF. Retrieved 29 May 2011. 
  2. ^ a b c "Bear Stadium". Arkansas Diamonds. Archived from the original on 2011-05-28. http://www.webcitation.org/5z1uV5k6e. Retrieved 29 May 2011. 
  3. ^ McCollum, David (February 11, 2011). "UCA to host HS baseball state championship games". The Log Cabin Democrat. Archived from the original on 2011-05-28. http://www.webcitation.org/5z1udhXXy. Retrieved 29 May 2011. 

External links

Baseball venues of the Southland Conference