The highly anticipated renovations to Georgia Southern University’s J.I Clements Stadium were completed just in time as the Eagles prepared to host the 49th Sun Belt Baseball Championships in May.
Athletics Director Tom Kleinlein, in particular, was very excited about the project stating during its execution in January, “This work will improve one of the best stadiums in the Sun Belt Conference and significantly enhance our student-athlete and fan experience.”
ChampionWall, selected for its durability and aesthetics’ was included in the restorations, replacing old fencing damaged by Hurricane Matthew. A giant 24-foot batter’s eye and a manual scoreboard embedded into the ChampionWall paneling were also incorporated into the overhaul.
The standard “Defender Blue” color option was chosen for the ChampionWall coordinated seamlessly with established team colors and heightened the nostalgic stadium feel. These features unique to the J.I Clements Stadium have truly set it apart from any other arena in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Hurdles were faced during installation when poor soil conditions presented challenges for contractors. CMI’s engineering team assisted the contractor and designers to help ensure the successful and timely launch.
As the Eagles look to improve on last season’s Sun Belt record. Head Coach Rodney Hennon noted, “Our players and fans should continue to enjoy the experience of a first-class baseball facility. College baseball continues to grow both within the Sun Belt Conference and on a national scale and this can be seen in the facilities throughout the country. Certainly, these improvements benefit our program as we strive to win Sun Belt Championships and get to Omaha.”
