Hitting Facility for Baseball/Softball to be built

Enterprise State Community College is moving forward with plans for a hitting facility that will benefit the College's baseball and softball teams.

The covered hitting facility will have lighting and two lanes for athletes to practice hitting and pitching. The facility will be enclosed with fencing, and plumbing and electrical will be placed for future additions to the building.

According to Baseball Coach Samuel "Bubba" Frichter, the hitting facility will be an asset to the ESCC Athletic Department and the community.

The indoor facility will allow coaches to keep practices scheduled on weather days while players will have a place to hit and pitch later in the day or during rain. ESCC athletic staff will also be able to use the facility to host development camps.

"I can't begin to explain the importance of how beneficial this facility will be to our baseball/softball programs," he said. "This will allow our recruiting process to flourish and add a whole new dimension to how we develop our players."

Frichter called the hitting facility "an essential tool" in the Athletic Department's focus on overall athlete development.

"At the end of the day, we are a program that prides itself on player development," he said. "This is an essential tool that will help our players develop in order to reach a four-year or professional level. We want our players to have every advantage possible and to be able to utilize their time effectively while here at Enterprise State."

Frichter said the facility will also be a great tool in increasing the College's ties to the community with community teams that will be able to use the building for practices during rainy weather.

The addition of the hitting facility will help with current athletes and recruitment of future athletes, according to Softball Coach Traci Harrison.

"I am super excited for our softball program to be getting a hitting facility," she said. "Our program has been waiting for something like this for a long time. As our softball field went under renovations this past year, having the hitting facility just completes the puzzle. One of the mottos that I preach about is, 'If you build it, they will come.' I am excited about our team and future recruits to get to experience this in our program.

"My goal in this program is to bring in top softball players from the surrounding communities or another state. We want to be successful, and I thank our Athletic Director Jeremaine Williams, our president Matt Rodgers, Dean Kassie Mathis, and all our administration members who believe in our softball program to make this happen. I believe that the best is yet to come for our baseball and softball programs. This is just the beginning."

ESCC President Matt Rodgers thanked state legislators, including Senator Jimmy Holley, and the Coffee County Commission for their support for the project.

"Thank you to our state legislative delegation for their support of all our projects, including this facility," Rodgers said. "I also want to say thank you to the Coffee County Commission for providing the foundation soil where the facility will be located. These groups have been instrumental in helping us bring a first-class facility to our campus that will benefit not only our student athletes but also our community. We are so thankful for their support.

"Our goal is to make our campus facilities better each day for our students and instructors," he said. "We want our students to develop in all areas while they are here at ESCC. Our coaches and players spend countless hours on the field and in the gym, so we want to give them the best chance to be successful. I am excited that our coaches will now have the chance to better develop our student athletes."

Rodgers said the facility could see more features added over time.

"While we are excited to take these first steps forward with this project, we are just getting started on bringing a first-rate facility to our campus," he said. "There will be more to come in the future."

Future plans for the facility include adding additional lanes, restrooms and a concession stand as well as stands and parking areas for spectators.

Work on the hitting facility is expected to begin in early 2021.

Cutline: The two-lane hitting facility will be covered and enclosed with fencing. The facility will include lighting, and plumbing and electrical elements will be installed for future additions to the facility.