Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark
Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark is a college baseball stadium on the campus of Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. It hosts the Grand Canyon Antelopes of the Western Athletic Conference.
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| Former names | Brazell Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | 3300 W Camelback Road Grand Canyon University Phoenix, Arizona, 85017 U.S. |
| Coordinates | 33.5119°N 112.1327°W |
| Operator | Grand Canyon University |
| Capacity | 3,500 |
| Field size | Left: 320 ft (98 m) L. Center: 390 ft (120 m) Center: 385 ft (117 m) R. Center: 375 ft (114 m) Right: 330 ft (101 m) |
| Surface | Foul Territory AstroTurf (2018–present) Infield/Outfield Natural Grass (1962–present) |
| Scoreboard | Left Field Wall |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 22, 2017 |
| Built | 2018 |
| Opened | 1962 (field) 2018 (stadium) |
| Renovated | 1985, 2018 |
| Architect | suoLL Architects |
| General contractor | Pono Construction LLC |
| Tenants | |
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| Website | |
| GCU Baseball | |
The field is named for Dr. Dave Brazell, considered to be "the founder and developer of Canyon baseball."[2] As the coach of the Lopes for 28 seasons, Brazell put together an impressive record of 728-385-8.
The playing surface is composed complete of natural grass, save for infield foul territory where AstroTurf was installed in 2018. An inning-by-inning digital scoreboard is visible in left-center field.
History
Field established
In 1962, the program's facility was relocated from a more centralized location on the campus to the west end with the left field fence running parallel to 35th Avenue. The layout of the field remains largely unchanged from its 1962 debut.
In 1970, the field was named Brazell Field.
Brazell Stadium era
With the addition of bleacher seating, the facility transitioned from Brazell Field to Brazell Stadium in 1987.
Gold-colored bleachers wrapped around the home plate area, extending to each team's dugouts on either side. The stadium featured lights, making night games possible.
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In the off-season prior to the 2014 baseball season, large shades were added over the stands. The official capacity for the venue was 1,500.[3]
Improvements over the years at Brazell Stadium included replacement of wood bleachers, backstop improvements and the awning.[4]
On February 21, 2014, the Grand Canyon Antelopes baseball team hosted the inaugural game in which the Lopes were a full member of the WAC Conference. The Lopes defeated the Hofstra Pride in convincing 8–1 fashion behind a complete game from starting pitcher Jorge Perez.[5]
After spending four seasons in Division I for baseball only from 1995–1998, the entire athletic department made the jump to NCAA Division I for the fall of 2013.[6] Since the return to Division I for the baseball program, the Lopes boasted a 35–13 record at Brazell Stadium through the 2015 season.[7]
Birth of GCU Ballpark
In August 2016, the university announced its 10-in-2 initiative to build 10 new athletic facilities in two years to coincide with the final stages of GCU's full Division I membership. Among these 10 facilities was a new baseball stadium, later named GCU Ballpark. The new name of the facility was announced as Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark on January 22, 2018.
Demolition of the former stadium including the press box, grandstands, and dugouts began on May 22, 2017, following the conclusion of the home portion of the team's schedule.
The new facility delivers several new amenities for the program: chairback seating for over 3,000 fans, a multi-room press box, an upgraded sound system, an entertainment patio in right field, berm seating for fans in right field, an on-site concession stand and a team store.
Into the 2020s
The ballpark got a new video board in right-center field in May 2022.[8]
Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark hosted its first national television broadcast on February 18, 2023, when MLB Network televised Grand Canyon's home opener against No. 2 Tennessee as part of the MLB Desert Invitational. Stephen Nelson, Rubén Amaro Jr. and Jim Callis were on the call.[9] The Lopes defeated the Volunteers 4-3 in front of 4,457 fans.[10]
References
- "Fall League Lineup: Grand Canyon Rafters". Arizona Daily Sun. September 22, 1992. p. 28. Retrieved November 25, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- "Grand Canyon University". Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- "Brazell Stadium Review". Stadium Journey. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- "GCU's Brazell Stadium a hidden baseball gem in the Valley". AZ Central. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- "'Lopes Win Home Opener Against Hofstra". GCULopes.com. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- "Grand Canyon University joins Western Athletic Conference". AZ Central. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- "Western Athletic Conference Baseball Standings". Western Athletic Conference. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- "GCU Ballpark to debut video board". Grand Canyon University Athletics. 2022-05-06. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
- "Desert Invitational: TENN vs GCU | 02/18/2023". MLB.com. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
- "Baseball vs Tennessee on 2/18/2023 - Box Score". Grand Canyon University Athletics. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
