Hawkins Field

{{short description|Baseball park at Vanderbilt University}}

{{about|the baseball stadium in Nashville, Tennessee}}

{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2025}}

{{Infobox venue

| stadium_name = Hawkins Field

| nickname = "The Hawk"

| image = Hawkins Field.JPG

| image_size = 250px

| fullname =

| location = 2600 Jess Neely Drive
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.

| coordinates = {{coord|36.1428|-86.8077|display=inline}}

| broke_ground =

| built =

| opened = 2002

| renovated = 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2018

| expanded =

| owner = Vanderbilt University

| operator =

| surface = AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D

| construction_cost =

| architect =

| structural engineer =

| services engineer =

| general_contractor=

| project_manager =

| main_contractors =

| tenants = Vanderbilt Commodores (SEC) 2002–present
Nashville Outlaws (PL) 2010

| seating_capacity = 3,700

| dimensions = Left Field: {{convert|310|ft|m}}
Left-Center: {{convert|375|ft|m}}
Center Field: {{convert|400|ft|m}}
Right-Center: {{convert|375|ft|m}}
Right Field: {{convert|330|ft|m}}

}}

Hawkins Field is a baseball stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. It is the home field of the Vanderbilt Commodores college baseball team.[https://web.archive.org/web/20061207055110/http://vucommodores.cstv.com/facilities/hawkins-field.html Hawkins Field] at vucommodores.cstv.com, URL accessed December 24, 2010. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090828101928/http://vucommodores.cstv.com/facilities/hawkins-field.html Archived] 12-24-2010 The stadium opened in 2002[http://vucommodores.cstv.com/facilities/vand-renovation-history-timeline.html Vanderbilt Athletics Timelines - Construction History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080825193931/http://vucommodores.cstv.com/facilities/vand-renovation-history-timeline.html |date=2008-08-25 }} at vucommodores.cstv.com, URL accessed December 24, 2010. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120324220857/http://vucommodores.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/043010aac.html Archived] 12-24-2010 adjacent to Vanderbilt Stadium and Memorial Gymnasium and holds 3,700 people.[https://archive.today/20130121054419/http://vucommodores.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/043010aac.html Vanderbilt opens Georgia series Friday: Tickets are still available for wekeend (sic) matchup at Hawkins Field] at vucommodores.cstv.com, URL accessed December 24, 2010. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120324220857/http://vucommodores.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/043010aac.html Archived] 12-24-2010 In 2010, the Nashville Outlaws, a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League, used Hawkins Field as their home ballpark.Boclair, David. [http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/sports/baseball-outlaws-ride-town-summer "Baseball Outlaws ride into town this summer."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124085458/http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/sports/baseball-outlaws-ride-town-summer |date=2010-01-24 }} Nashville City Paper. 21 January 2010. Retrieved on 23 January 2010.

The venue is named for the family of Charles Hawkins III, a benefactor of the university and baseball program.

Features

The Vanderbilt athletics site describes its "brick and wrought-iron fence design." Its left field wall is 35 feet high, a comparable height to the Green Monster at Fenway Park.[http://www.greenmonsterseats.com/ Green Monster Seats] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203013415/http://greenmonsterseats.com/ |date=2011-02-03 }} at greenmonsterseats.com, URL accessed December 24, 2010. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110203013415/http://greenmonsterseats.com/ Archived] 12-24-2010 Memorial Gymnasium is behind the left field fence, and Vanderbilt Stadium's east bleachers are adjacent to the third base stands.[http://www.vanderbilt.edu/map/ Campus Map] at vanderbilt.edu, URL accessed December 24, 2010. [https://web.archive.org/web/20101230052239/http://www.vanderbilt.edu/map/ Archived] 12-24-2010

File:Hawkins Field - Home Plate.jpg

=Renovations=

In 2006, a complex including a locker room, offices, and a weight room was added along the third base line.

In 2007, Hawkins Field was selected as a regional host site for the 2007 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.{{Cite web |last=Matthews |first=Will |date=2007-06-01 |title=Road to Omaha Starts Friday |url=https://vucommodores.com/road-to-omaha-starts-friday-br-i-regional-preview-by-will-matthews-i/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=Vanderbilt Commanders Athletics}} Vanderbilt and Hawkins Field again hosted Regionals in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023 and hosted Super Regionals in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023. A new scoreboard was erected{{Cite news |last=Patton |first=Maurice |date=2007-05-20 |title=Installation this week for new scoreboard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-installation-this-week-fo/164563601/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |work=The Tennessean |page=C6 |via=Newspapers.com}} and new temporary bleachers were added in right field to bring the capacity to near 3,700 for the tournament (and also the 2008 season). In late 2008, further expansions increased the stadium's permanent seating capacity to 3,700.{{Cite news |last=Lockridge |first=Jeff |date=2010-05-30 |title=Vandy sits on bubble as a host |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-vandy-sits-on-bubble-as-a/164563796/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |work=The Tennessean |page=C1 |via=Newspapers.com}} This includes 2,200 chairback seats and 1,500 bleacher seats.[http://issuu.com/vucommodores/docs/2010bsb_media_guide 2010 Vanderbilt Baseball Media Guide, p. 14] at issuu.com, URL accessed December 24, 2010. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121011204209/http://issuu.com/vucommodores/docs/2010bsb_media_guide Archived] 12-24-2010 The dugouts were also renovated and a new trainer's room added.

In 2012, artificial turf replaced the grass playing field.{{Cite web |date=2012-09-07 |title=Hawkins Field artificial turf installation |url=https://vucommodores.com/hawkins-field-artificial-turf-installation/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=Vanderbilt University Athletics |language=en-US}}

Attendance

In 2024, the Commodores ranked 22nd among Division I baseball programs in attendance, averaging 3,597 per home game.https://www.reddit.com/r/collegebaseball/comments/1ghxesb/2024_college_baseball_attendance_top_25/

See also

References

{{reflist}}