Williamsport’s Brandon Park has hosted many baseball games throughout its long history. Driving by the venerable location these days, if one looks closely, it might be possible to spot the immortal bird Phoenix, which is said to obtain new life by rising from the ashes of its predecessor.
From the park’s northeast corner, a transformation is taking place to what was an existing senior field, once home to the Lycoming College baseball team in the 1950s, to what will become home to the college’s new baseball facility.
The baseball field is being completely redone, expanding dimensions to a collegiate-sized field with 325-370-390-370-325 outfield dimensions. Field turf will be installed for the playing surface, along with netting, fencing, dugouts, and a scoreboard in phase one of the project. Stands, a press box, restrooms, and lighting will follow in later phases.
“The Brandon Park project is one of the more significant commitments in the history of Lycoming College athletics in many aspects,” said Lycoming athletic director Mike Clark. “We are making a significant commitment to ensure the success of the baseball program.”
Following a 52-year absence, Lycoming College renewed its baseball program last year and called on Rick Oliveri to lead the process. With a team of first-year players, the Warriors responded beyond expectations to achieve a 12-23 overall record, including going 9-14 in the MAC Freedom conference.
“It’s amazing,” Oliveri stated. “I am excited, and I think those associated with the program share the same view as to how quickly we are becoming a competitive, full-roster baseball team with a group of committed, young student-athletes that love Lycoming and are enjoying getting better every day.”
Addressing the ongoing field construction, Oliveri expressed optimism.
“If the current work can stay on schedule, I have been told December or January would be the completion date for phase one of the project. Phase One includes laying the turf and putting up fencing and dugouts so we would have a field to play on this spring. The turf being installed is the ultimate game changer. In this part of the country, anyone playing on a natural field always faces the challenges related to weather that makes fields unplayable.
“The turf to be installed will make it possible for us to maximize the development of each player and the team as a unit, getting more time outside for practice and playing more home games early in the season. This field, combined with the academic reputation of the college, will make Lycoming baseball a top destination for the best and brightest prospective student-athletes.”
Without a field to call their own, Oliveri’s Warriors have been provided practice facilities by the South Williamsport School District.
“The relationship we have with South Williamsport High School regarding the use of its baseball facilities has been a pure blessing. It’s one of the few fields in the area that has two bullpen mounds. When you have twenty pitchers and only one practice mound, that makes for a long practice. The playing surface is second to none. It takes water well, and it has been great to be able to practice there.
“We are grateful to South’s groundskeeper, Perry Haldeman, for his efforts in preparing the field for us to use. The relationship we have with Coach Waller, athletic director Scott Hill, and Perry is something I am very grateful for and has been a big help to our entire Lycoming baseball program.”
“We added thirteen recruits this year, bringing our roster size to 40 players. The NCAA does not limit squad size, but internally, that is our coaching staff’s preference. If you have too many players, that takes reps away from guys that need the added practice time. I want the players on our team to feel they will have opportunities to contribute, take ownership, and have a family atmosphere here.
“We did well locally and added players from other states, including California and Florida. Williamsport might not be a national city generally, but it is an international city when it comes to baseball. That is a definite help to attracting players to come to Lycoming.
Along with a new field, Lycoming will enter a new conference this spring.
“Entering the Landmark Conference will be a great challenge. It’s comprised of schools more similar to us. With regard to our peers, it will help us in recognition and recruiting. Athletically, the MAC Freedom conference had two teams host regionals last year, and one team went to the World Series. The Landmark Conference had two teams host regionals, and two years ago, Catholic went to the World Series.
“I think the Landmark will be exciting with Catholic and the University of Scranton having very good programs. We want to play good baseball, play good teams, and challenge ourselves.”
The team’s 2024 schedule will include 40 games, featuring nine home non-conference games.
“The new field makes that possible, as we only had one home non-conference game last year. It will allow us to stay closer to home with less class time disruption and save on travel costs,” Oliveri reasoned.
“This fall, we used the allotted 18 NCAA practices to stress the fundamentals of the game, our team core values, how we want to play the game, and the major items we want to accomplish throughout the year. We are looking forward to the new field, the new season, and our continued improvement.”
