William Jessup University, the greater Sacramento region’s only residential private four-year university, will partner with the City of Lincoln to revitalize historic McBean Stadium at McBean Memorial Park.
The Lincoln City Council approved the proposed partnership November 10 allowing the growing university’s second-year baseball program to call McBean Stadium their home field for practice and games in the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC).
“This important partnership will renew a very meaningful part of Lincoln’s great history as a community,” said Lincoln Mayor Paul Joiner. “We are very excited to welcome William Jessup University to our City, and look forward to a close and long-term partnership.”
The partnership also benefits the city’s burgeoning Little League program and supports efforts of the Friends of McBean Park to bring back Lincoln’s historic field. McBean Park is located near downtown Lincoln at 65 McBean Park Drive.
The agreement calls for the following improvements to McBean Stadium:
* Irrigation and renovation of live-grass outfield
* Foul poles, center field fencing and fence cap, perimeter fencing, dirt fines and warning track
* Batting cages, dugouts and electrical scoreboard
* Synthetic turf infield and necessary maintenance equipment
“We are extremely pleased to be partnering with the City of Lincoln and establishing a high quality baseball facility for the City and a home field with a great environment for the William Jessup baseball team,” Jessup’s Associate Director of Athletics Farnum Smith said. “Our partnership not only makes sense due to proximity to the university, it enables the surrounding community to connect and support collegiate athletics as well as America’s pastime. William Jessup continues to focus on the development of its athletes on and off the playing field. This is significant progress for our baseball team and the overall growth of the Warrior athletic program.”
The 10-year agreement specifies that William Jessup baseball will have priority use of the field during seasonal play. The move gives the university additional time to raise funds to build a baseball stadium on the north end of the 125-acre campus, near the newly opened University Avenue in Rocklin.
The joint effort to improve the field is currently in design phase with work slated to begin after the first of the year. However, the project could likely face significant rain delays resulting directly from a projected El Nino weather pattern. Weather permitting, McBean Stadium could be ready for play near the end of the Warriors 2016 spring season.
McBean Park bears historical significance for Lincoln as it was established in 1925. McBean Stadium got its roots when World War II ended and a group of workers from the Gladding-McBean clay works factory formed a league known as the Placer-Nevada Baseball League. Eight teams comprised the league and the Lincoln Potters played home games at what was considered the best field in the league for featuring groomed grass, grandstands and lights. The first night baseball game was played on August 10, sixty years ago.
McBean Park is a 24-acre park, featuring a swimming pool, senior baseball field, Little League diamond, Skate Park, the “Leathers” playground, outdoor basketball courts, horseshoe pits, football/baseball stadium, picnic areas, and open-turf areas.
