University of Memphis Athletics
FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field
FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field
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A new era in University of Memphis baseball history began in 2010 after a major facelift was given to the Tigers’ home park. After calling its home Nat Buring Stadium for 36 seasons, Memphis baseball opened a refurbished facility, FedExPark, after construction and renovations were complete.
Thanks to a $3 million gift from FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX), construction overhauled and redesigned the former Nat Buring Stadium that had housed Tigers baseball since 1972. FedExPark replaced Nat Buring Stadium, where Memphis compiled a 667-295-1 record.
FedExPark underwent further development in 2017-18. The Tigers opened a 1,600-square-foot addition to the W.S. “Babe” Howard Training Facility, which is attached to FedExPark, for the 2018 season.
The expansion, which was made possible by the generosity of Ray and Laura Rosas along with other private donors, includes a team meeting room and additional coaches’ offices. With the additional office space, the Tigers baseball program now has its entire coaching and support staff in the same building.
$3.5 million renovations continued in the fall of 2022 at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field as part of the program's transformational plan. The project was made possible by generous donations from Memphis businessman, philanthropist and lifelong-baseball enthusiast Avron Fogelman and stadium namesake FedEx. The gift funded a state-of-the-art artificial turf surface and new videoboard. The gift will also help with improvements to seating, new fan netting, and a beautiful brick wall along the entire exterior of the park.
The park’s 2010 redesign included a dressing facility, indoor practice facility, training room, players’ lounge, locker rooms, coaches’ offices, dugouts, grandstand, concession areas, press box and a private suite which aids players, teams and fans with their game day experience.
The dressing facility includes locker rooms for both coaches and players, office and meeting space, a players’ lounge, coaches’ conference room, indoor pitching and batting cages, as well as a direct entrance into the Tigers dugout and field.
The grandstand area features an expanded press box area, as well as new restrooms and concession stands. The press box contains private booths for both radio and television broadcasts in addition to working media and event management areas. A grand entry way provides a welcoming main entrance to the ballpark from the left field parking lots.
FedExPark renovation set-up began on Feb. 16, 2009 – two days that season’s Opening Day. Construction crews took over the facility, forcing the Tigers to play their 2009 campaign at three different ballparks in the Memphis area. The Tigers called Millington’s USA Stadium its primary home for the season, and also hosted games at AutoZone Park (home of the St. Louis Cardinals’ AAA affiliate) and Gagliano Stadium.
While the stadium’s surroundings have gone through changes, the park’s dimensions remain the same. It has often proved to be a pitchers’ park when the wind blows in from left field. However, when the wind blows out to left, it turn into a hitters’ park. FedExPark’s dimensions down the lines are 318 and 317 feet in left and right fields, respectively, 360 feet in the alleys and 379 feet to center.
The 2010 stadium redesign was the latest of several upgrades to the Memphis baseball facility. On March 27, 1991, the Memphis Athletics Department ushered in night baseball with the addition of stadium lights. The Tigers hosted Mississippi State in the program’s first night game, and played three times under the lights in the 1991 campaign.
In addition to the stadium lights, a new backstop was installed at the beginning of the 1994 season to allow better visibility for the fans. Chairback seats also were put in the grandstand area for better comfort and enjoyment of Tigers baseball games.
In the summer of 1994, the playing surface of the infield was overhauled, giving the stadium one of the best natural grass playing surfaces in the South. Five years later, new dugouts were constructed.
The facility underwent several upgrades in the first decade of the 2000s. In the spring of 2004, the playing field was leveled out and resurfaced for better playing conditions. A new wall was added to the list of upgrades in the winter of 2005. Prior to the 2006 campaign, field turf was installed around the batter’s circle to help maintain the field’s aesthetic in the high-traffic area. A new scoreboard was put in place in January 2008.
Following the 1971 season, the Tigers moved to the University’s Park Avenue Campus from Tobey Park, located at the corner of Hollywood and Central Avenue. The team also played games at Blues Stadium, which was later known as Tim McCarver Stadium.
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