Allan Saxe Field
Allan Saxe Field is the home of the UTA Mavericks softball team located in Arlington, Texas. As a result of a complete reconstruction in 2014-15, the stadium currently has a capacity of 622.[1] A sellout crowd of 702 set a new attendance record on March 12, 2016 when Samford visited. The previous record of 474 was set against the University of Texas on March 11, 2010 when stadium capacity was 250. In 2016, Allan Saxe also drew crowds of 622, 522 and 512 that would have set the record had it occurred in any year prior. Adjacent to Clay Gould Ballpark, the stadium is located at the intersection of W. Park Row Drive and Fielder Road.
 Allan Saxe Field prior to renovation | |
| |
| Address | 1400 Maverick Arlington, TX 76013 |
|---|---|
| Location | S. Fielder Rd. and W. Park Row Dr. Arlington, Texas |
| Coordinates | 32°43′21″N 97°07′46″W |
| Owner | University of Texas at Arlington |
| Operator | University of Texas at Arlington |
| Capacity | Current: 622[1] Before 2015: 250 |
| Record attendance | 702 (March 12, 2016 vs Samford University) |
| Field size | Left Field: 190 ft. Center Field: 215 ft. Right Field: 190 ft. (Estimated) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1974 |
| Renovated | 1993, 2014-15 |
| Tenants | |
| Texas–Arlington Mavericks softball | |
Features
Allan Saxe Field consists of a combination of bleacher and chairback seating for 622 fans as a result of the complete stadium reconstruction following the 2014 season.
The playing field is a natural grass surface while foul territory is an artificial turf. Each dugout is covered and looks out onto the dirt infield. There are batting cages and bullpens down each respective team's foul line. Lights make night games possible and a 10-foot-high, 10-inning scoreboard sits beyond the center field fence.
The first base side is the home team's dugout, which connects to the newly added clubhouse. Immediately south of the clubhouse sits the indoor practice facility.
Allan Saxe Field features several amenities for the fans including chair-back seats behind home plate, a sound system for music and public address announcements along with a concession stand and restroom facilities near the entrance.
History and Renovations
Completed in 1974 as part of the Arlington Athletic Center [2] on the southwestern-most portion of the UT-Arlington campus, the softball field was built in conjunction with the baseball stadium, which would later be known as Clay Gould Ballpark.
The softball venue was renamed after popular Professor Allan Saxe's gifts made renovations possible in 1993. Professor Saxe also contributed to renovations for UTA's baseball stadium, and it was renamed Allan Saxe Stadium, before another renaming would give the baseball facility its current name.
Construction of an indoor practice facility was started and completed during the off-season prior to the 2013 season. The addition was part of a $1.95 million project to construct a similar space for both the softball field and baseball stadium, allowing practices to occur during inclement weather for both teams at their respective venue. The 3,500-square-foot (330 m2) indoor softball facility contains interchangeable batting cages, pitching area and the ability for an open practice.[3]
In August 2013, the UT System board of regents approved $5.5 million to continue renovations at the venue, as well as a similar expansion for Clay Gould Ballpark. Construction of the new clubhouse as well as a complete reconstruction of the stadium began following the 2014 season.
The clubhouse is located on the first base side, near the indoor practice facility. Completed prior to the 2015 season, it is an estimated 6,300 square feet (590 m2) of interior space and includes locker rooms, player lounge, coaches offices and locker rooms, training rooms, equipment and laundry rooms, mud room and welcome lobby.[4]
The stadium reconstruction included a completely scraping and rebuild of the playing field, field irrigation system replacement, new dugouts, new bullpens, new press box with seating for 15, new outfield fencing, new bleacher seating increasing capacity to 622 as well as a grass berm for seating adjacent to the left field wall. The first game in the basically new stadium was played on February 12, 2015 against the Incarnate Word Cardinals of the Southland Conference, a 13–4 Maverick victory.[5] A ribbon cutting ceremony for the new clubhouse was held on March 21, 2015.[6]
Further renovations are in the planning phase, as the athletic department devised a master plan for the venue, which include expanding the seating capacity to just over 1,000, press box additions and expansions and a UTA store.[7]
Program History
Allan Saxe Field provides the Mavericks with a nice home field advantage, as they have a home record of 417-289, for a winning percentage of .591 (as of the end of the 2015 season).
Allan Saxe Field has hosted numerous big name opponents, including the Big XII's Baylor Bears, Kansas State Wildcats, Texas Longhorns and Texas Tech Red Raiders, the SEC's Arkansas Razorbacks, Mississippi Rebels and Texas A&M Aggies, the B1G's Illinois Fighting Illini, the Pac-12's Oregon Ducks, the ACC's Pittsburgh Panthers and the AAC's Houston Cougars.
UTA has played the Texas State Bobcats the most at Allan Saxe Field, with 54 games played. The Mavericks are 31-23 in those games. The Mavericks and Bobcats have been conference rivals since the 1988, despite both squads belonging to three conferences. Louisiana-Monroe is the second most visited team, lining up against UTA 48 times, followed by Stephen F. Austin, 39, Sam Houston, 38, and Northwestern State, 34. UTA once again joined Louisiana-Monroe in the Sun Belt Conference while the remaining three are current members of the Southland Conference. All five members on the list were members of the Southland at one time or another.
Allan Saxe Field was home to the 1983, 1986, 1989, 2003 and 2007 Southland Conference regular season champions and the 2003 Southland Conference tournament champions.
References
- "SB: UTA opens new Allan Saxe Field Thursday night The 622-seat facility is set to host 12 games overall in the Maverick Invitational". UT Arlington Athletics. February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
The 622-seat facility has been a momentum builder for the Mavericks program and has been a long time coming to begin building a home field advantage for UTA.
- https://issuu.com/utamavs.com/docs/2011_uta_softball_guide
- "Mavericks Baseball and Softball break ground on new indoor facility".
- "Allan Saxe Field Improvements".
- ".5 million upgrade planned for softball, baseball complexes". Archived from the original on 2013-09-25. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
- "Allan Saxe Field". University of Texas at Arlington. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
- "UT Arlington Mavericks" (pdf). UT Arlington Athletics. Retrieved December 24, 2014.