Bowlin Stadium
Bowlin Stadium is a softball stadium in the Haymarket District of Lincoln, Nebraska. It is less than a mile west of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (NU) and is the home venue of the school's softball team. The thirty-two acre Haymarket Park complex, jointly financed by the city of Lincoln and NU, was completed in 2001 at a cost of $29.53 million. Bowlin Stadium is adjacent to the larger Hawks Field, which hosts Nebraska's baseball team.
| Address | 403 Line Drive Circle |
|---|---|
| Location | Lincoln, Nebraska |
| Operator | University of Nebraska–Lincoln |
| Type | Stadium |
| Capacity | 2,500 |
| Field size | Left field – 200 ft (61 m) Center field – 220 ft (67 m) Right field – 195 ft (59 m) |
| Surface | Kentucky bluegrass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | Apr. 12, 2000 |
| Opened | Mar. 18, 2002 |
| Construction cost | $29.53 million (includes Hawks Field) ($48.8 million in 2022) |
| Architect | Stan Meradith, DLR Group |
| Tenants | |
| Nebraska Cornhuskers softball 2002–present | |
History
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln announced a new baseball and softball stadium project on July 30, 1999, which was unanimously approved by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents on April 1, 2000. The Omaha-based DLR Group was contracted as the principal designer for the complex.[1] The Haymarket Park complex broke ground on April 12, 2000, just off U.S. Route 6 and Charleston Street west of downtown Lincoln. Construction was completed in mid-June of 2001, though Nebraska did not play its first game at the stadium until March 19, 2002, a 3–1 victory over Creighton.[2]
The city of Lincoln, which maintains ownership of the land and buildings in the Haymarket Park complex, contributed $13.7 million to construction. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Lincoln Pro Baseball (LPB) each contributed approximately ten million dollars.[3] NU signed a thirty-five year lease with no charged property tax or insurance fees.
Bowlin Stadium is named for Ione Bowlin, a state native and former NU administrator whose estate made a significant donation to the school's athletic department.[4] Bowlin died in 2001; the stadium was dedicated in her honor on April 31, 2002 and she was posthumously awarded the 2002–03 Dr. Barbara Hibner Trailblazing Award in recognition of her support for women's athletics at Nebraska.[5] Bowlin Stadium has a listed capacity of 2,500, including 750 chairback seats with room for approximately two thousand more guests in metal bleachers down the first base line and all-grass berms down both foul lines. A two-level press box provides seating for up to twenty-five members of the media.[6] Nebraska has ranked in the top ten nationally in attendance four times since moving to Bowlin Stadium.[7] The highest recorded attendance at the stadium was on April 9, 2016, when a crowd of 2,302 watched No. 1 Michigan defeat Nebraska 4–1.
Nebraska's all-time record at Bowlin Stadium is 256–106. The stadium has hosted five NCAA Regionals.
Playing surface
The Haymarket Park complex was the first collegiate venue to use the SubAir heating and cooling system to optimize field temperature year-round. The Kentucky bluegrass playing surface at Bowlin Stadium was named the collegiate softball "Field of the Year" in 2004 by the Sports Field Management Association.[7]
References
- "2022 Nebraska Baseball Media Guide" (PDF). Huskers.com. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- Chris Basnett (12 June 2021). "Looking back at the Buck: 20 years later, fond memories remain of Nebraska's rickety old ballpark". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- "Bringing Baseball Home". Recreation Management. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- David Diehl (18 February 2002). "Board to decide on field, stadium naming". The Daily Nebraskan. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- "Nebraska Recognizes Bowlin With Trailblazer Award". Huskers.com. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- "Bowlin Stadium". Nebraska Cornhuskers. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- "Bowlin Stadium - Facilities". Huskers.com. Nebraska Cornhuskers. Retrieved 31 March 2022.