Stetson baseball fans who have driven down Alabama Avenue, past Melching Field, in the last few weeks have seen cranes, dump trucks, front-end loaders and survey equipment where there used to be a baseball field.
 
The facility looks more like a dirt farm than a baseball field now, but that is the price of progress and part of the first phase of a renovation at the facility.
 
The renovations to the facility are being done as a joint effort between Stetson University, which leases the facility, and the City of DeLand, which owns it. It is the first major renovation project since the facility first opened for the 1999 season.
 
"This project is going to give us one of the top facilities in Florida and in the entire southeast," Stetson head coach Steve Trimper said. "I believe, when everything is done, we will have one of the top 20 facilities in the entire nation."
 
"Combining our resources, Stetson and the City of DeLand have been able to build a facility neither could have supported alone," Stetson Director of Athletics Jeff Altier said. "Melching Field at Conrad Park has become a point of pride for the DeLand and Stetson community, providing a very attractive representation to visitors of the value of having a quality University in a beautiful community. As a DeLand resident, and Stetson graduate, I hope this relationship continues to grow and develop for the benefit of our community."
 
So far, the work has focused on the playing field and surroundings. The old field was scrapped off to allow work on drainage and irrigation, connecting the facility to the city's new reclaimed water system. The playing surface will be leveled, removing a slope in the outfield originally designed to assist with drainage.
 
New conduit is being buried to carry power, and control for new lights, a new video board and for broadcast productions. The outfield fence, back stop netting as well as fencing in the old bullpen areas has all been removed, to be replaced by new padded walls.
 
While the work is well underway, there is much to be completed in the next six months before the Hatters begin their 2023 season. When the team takes the field for the first time, the walk to the mound and batters' box will be different because the field is being pushed out approximately nine feet to allow for new field level seats behind home plate.
 
That also means distances to the new padded outfield wall will be reduced moving forward. The old dimensions for the field were 328 feet down the lines, 381 feet to the gaps and 396 feet to center. The new dimensions are expected to be 320 feet down the lines, 365 feet in the gaps and 391 feet to center.
 
In addition to the work being done on the field, the immediate surroundings will also change. Both bullpens have been removed from their spots down the first and third base lines and are being rebuilt beyond the outfield wall, to the left and right of the batters' eye. The area where the bullpens were formerly located will now become new fan areas for casual seating.
 
In addition to the work on the field, this first phase of the renovation will include new chairback seating in 90 percent of the existing grandstands in addition to the approximately 130 new exclusive field level seats that will put fans closer to the action than ever before.
 
"Our goal is to give our great fans the best entertainment experience possible while, at the same time, giving us a recruiting tool to help us bring in even more top-level players," Trimper said.
 
The game experience for fans will be enhanced even more by new LED lighting that will allow Melching Field to have the same kind of light displays in use at Major League stadiums around the country. Couple the lighting with a new public address system and a new video board that will work in conjunction with the existing scoreboard and video display to enhance the experience.
 
"I want to give my thanks to President Chris Roellke, our Director of Athletics Jeff Altier, the staff from the City of DeLand and the many donors who have already supported this project," Trimper said. "From a Stetson perspective, this renovation is 100 percent donor funded and led to some donors finding other ways to support the mission of Stetson by funding new scholarships and other fundraising efforts outside of baseball and Stetson Athletics."
 
Work on the first phase of the project is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2023 season-opener.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS. Get in on the conversation on social media by following Stetson Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channels: Stetson Hatters, Stetson Athletics and, for live events, Hatter Vision.