Alfred A. McKethan Stadium

Alfred A. McKethan Stadium at Perry Field
Former names Perry Field
Location Gainesville, Florida
Opened 1988
Owner University of Florida
Operator University Athletic Association
Surface Grass
Construction cost $16.5 million
Capacity 5,500
Field dimensions Left Field: 329 feet
Left Center: 365 feet
Center Field: 400 feet
Right Center: 375 feet
Right Field: 325 feet
Tenants
Florida Gators baseball (NCAA)

Alfred A. McKethan Stadium at Perry Field is the college baseball stadium of the University of Florida, and serves as the home field for the Florida Gators baseball team. McKethan Stadium is located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus, in close proximity to the university's indoor sports arena, the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, and its football stadium, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.[1]

Contents

Naming

The stadium facility is named for Alfred A. McKethan, a University of Florida alumnus and successful Florida banker, businessman and politician who contributed significant funds for the reconstruction and expansion of the stadium. McKethan donated nearly three million dollars for the reconstruction and improvement of the stadium in the 1980s and 1990s. The playing field is named for Carl E. "Tootie" Perry, a former Florida Gators football who was the Gators' first All-Southern selection in 1920 and 1921 and team captain in 1921. Perry's family formerly owned the land on which the stadium was built, and donated the land to the university.[2]

Facilities

The current stadium facility is a concrete structure that seats approximately 5,500 fans, and includes a press box, concession stands, locker rooms for the Gators and visiting teams, and coaching staff offices. The University Athletic Association rebuilt the press box in 1996, added bleachers on the left field line and behind the left field fence in 1997, and added another 1,000 seats down the left baseline and upgraded to the locker rooms and baseball offices in 2007.

The stadium is lighted for night games and features a natural grass and clay playing surface.

Attendance

In 2011, the Gators ranked 13th in Division I college baseball in attendance, averaging 3,753 per home game.[3]

See also

Baseball portal

External links

References

  1. ^ About the stadium
  2. ^ MCKETHAN STADIUM AT PERRY FIELD
  3. ^ Tami Cutler. "2011 Division I Baseball Attendance". Archived from the original on 12-20-11. http://www.webcitation.org/644cLUIuP. Retrieved December 20, 2011. 
Baseball parks of the Southeastern Conference
Eastern Division
Western Division