J. I. Clements Stadium
J. I. Clements Stadium is a baseball venue located in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. It is home to the Georgia Southern University Eagles college baseball team of the Division I Sun Belt Conference. It has a capacity of 3,000 spectators (530 chair-back seats and 2,470 stadium bench back seats) and opened in 2005.[2]
Clements Stadium | |
| Location | 700 Fair Road, Statesboro, Georgia, USA |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 32.429157°N 81.781368°W |
| Owner | Georgia Southern University |
| Capacity | 3,500 |
| Record attendance | 3,732 (March 8, 2023) |
| Field size | 330 ft. (LF), 360 ft. (LCF), 385 (CF), 360 ft. (RCF), 330 ft. (RF) |
| Surface | Natural grass; Foul Territory Synthetic[1] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 2004 |
| Opened | February 12, 2005 |
| Renovated | 2017[1] |
| Tenants | |
| Georgia Southern Eagles (Sun Belt) (2005–present) | |
The facility is named after former Georgia Southern baseball coach J. I. Clements.[2] Clements coached the Eagles from 1949–1966 and 1968, leading the team to the 1962 NAIA National Championship. Clements died in 1974, and the Eagles' former venue was named in his honor in 1985.[3] The name was carried over when the new stadium opened in 2005.[2]
Attendance
The park hosted its first game on February 12, 2005.[2] Georgia Southern lost to No. 13 Georgia Tech 10–6.[4] The game's attendance was 2,805.[2] On February 22, 2011, the Eagles took on No. 21 Georgia Tech, and J. I. Clements Stadium saw a then-record crowd of 3,088 people. The Eagles won the game 6–5 on a walk-off walk by Victor Roache.[5] On February 22, 2012, the Eagles hosted Georgia Tech and set a new single-game record attendance of 3,258. Georgia Tech won the game 11–9.[6]
In 2013, the Eagles ranked 48th among Division I baseball programs in attendance, averaging 1,337 per home game.[7]
Features
The stadium features concessions, restrooms, dugouts, a batter's eye, luxury boxes, a press box, batting cages, offices, and a team meeting room. The Wiggins Baseball Building is located next to the field on the third base side.[2] The facility encompasses 9,000 square feet (840 m2).[8]
Renovations
The stadium was renovated during the 2016–2017 offseason in preparation to host the 2017 Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament. The outfield wall was replaced, a task hastened by damage caused by Hurricane Matthew. The old electronic scoreboard in left field was replaced with a Daktronics video board, and a hand-operated scoreboard was added in right field. The grass in foul territory was replaced by synthetic turf.[1]
Other uses
In addition to baseball, the field is occasionally used as a concert venue. On November 12, 2010, hip hop artist Ludacris performed at the stadium.[9]
References
- "J.I. Clements Stadium Gets a New Look for 2017". Georgia Southern Athletics. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
- J. I. Clements Stadium at georgiasoutherneagles.com, URL accessed December 22, 2010. Archived 12-22-2010
- J. I. Clements at georgiasoutherneagles.com, URL accessed December 22, 2010. Archived 12-22-2010
- No. 13 Tech Baseball Powers Past Georgia Southern, 10–6: Jeremy Slayden, Mike Trapani and Jeff Kindel hit home runs at cstv.com, URL accessed December 22, 2010. Archived 12-22-2010
- "Eagles Walk Away with Georgia Tech Series Opener". February 22, 2011. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
- "Baseball Falls to Georgia Tech in the Late Innings". GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com. February 22, 2012. Archived from the original on April 30, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
A stadium record 3,258 fans came out to J.I. Clements Stadium in the first mid-week contest of the year, but they went home disappointed after the Eagles fell 11–9.
- Cutler, Tami (June 11, 2013). "2013 Division I Baseball Attendance – Final Report" (PDF). Sportswriters.net. NCBWA. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
- J.I. Clements Baseball Stadium at greenlinearch.com, URL accessed December 22, 2010. Archived 12-22-2010
- Ludacris brings hits, high energy to concert at J. I. Clements by Philip Clements at gadaily.com, URL accessed December 22, 2010. Archived 12-22-2010