Joe Etzel Field Renovations Underway, Thanks to Generosity of Donors

Renovation Details/Renderings  I  Joe Etzel Field Renovations Video  I  Photo Gallery (7/28/14)  I  Photo Gallery (8/15/14)  I  Photo Gallery (10/10/14)

Improvements have begun on the University of Portland's baseball stadium, Joe Etzel Field, thanks to the support of several donors. The multi-phased project will begin with the installation of artificial turf, designed to replace the natural grass field and give the baseball program much-needed flexibility.

Several donors have contributed to the project, including Larree M. Renda, who has given two gifts of a combined $400,000. Renda is an executive with Safeway Inc., based in Pleasanton, Calif., and a member of the University's Board of Regents. Her son, Tommy Renda '09, '13 MBA, played baseball for the Pilots. Tom and Mary Herche, of Seattle, whose son Charlie '09 played baseball for the Pilots, gave $150,000 for the baseball field upgrade. Additional leadership gifts for the project have come from former players Lou Stremick '71, Walt Spitznagel '50, and Al Courter '69; and from Indonesian alumnus Pudjiono Djojonegoro '80, who gave $100,000.

A total of $850,000 has been raised to date for the first phase. Other scheduled improvements during the first phase include new fencing, a new scoreboard, and eventually new lighting.

"Joe Etzel Field is already an iconic collegiate ballpark and we're excited about the improvements we will be making," said Scott Leykam, University of Portland athletic director. "Artificial turf is almost a necessity in the Pacific Northwest, and the new surface will allow our team to get in more practices and play more home games during the spring season. I'm excited to see the new scoreboard above the new fencing and I'm thrilled at the prospect of adding lights in the near future since the foundation will be put in place."

Formerly Pilot Stadium, the facility was completed prior to the 1988 baseball season. The stadium was renamed in the summer of 2004 in honor of former Portland athletic director and long-time head baseball coach Joe Etzel.

"It will be a tremendous boost to the program," Etzel said of the upgrade, noting that incoming student-athletes place a high priority on facilities. "They want to develop as players. They look at facilities very closely."

Etzel was involved in the placement of lights on the soccer field at University of Portland in 2004 and recalls that attendance increased when games could be scheduled at night.
"This is only the beginning of the renovations that will take place in the upcoming years," said Leykam, "and thanks to the generosity of our donors, we're ensuring that Joe Etzel Field remains one of the top ballparks in the state of Oregon."

Following the initial renovation phase, a long-term phase II of the project is being developed which will include new grandstands, improved concession and ticketing facilities and baseball specific programming.

Leykam praised the support of all donors to the baseball program, including Renda, whose daughter Kristina Renda '10 also graduated from the University, along with her brother Tommy.

"The generosity of Larree Renda and so many others means a great deal to our baseball program," said Leykam. "Tommy Renda was an outstanding representative of the UP baseball program as a student-athlete on The Bluff and continues to have a positive impact on both the Athletic Department and the baseball program."

The gifts are part of the University's RISE Campaign, which was announced in December 2010 with a goal of raising $175 million by June 30, 2014. Nearly $182 million has been raised to date, making it one of the largest fundraising campaigns ever for a Pacific Northwest private college or university.