Joe Nathan Field
{{Short description|Baseball field in Stony Brook, New York, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Joe Nathan Field
| nickname =
| image = 250px
| fullname =
| former_names =
| location = Circle Road, Stony Brook, New York, US
| coordinates = {{coord|40.92332|-73.122951|display=inline,title}}
| broke_ground =
| built =
| opened = May 20, 2011
| renovated =
| expanded =
| closed =
| demolished =
| owner = Stony Brook University
| operator = Stony Brook University
| surface = FieldTurf
| scoreboard = 25 feet high
| construction_cost = $1.3 million
| suites =
| architect =
| project_manager =
| structural engineer =
| services engineer =
| general_contractor =
| main_contractors =
| capacity = 1,000
| record_attendance =
| dimensions = Left Field: {{convert|330|ft|m|sp=us}}
Left Center Field: {{convert|365|ft|m|sp=us}}
Center Field: {{convert|390|ft|m|sp=us}}
Right Center Field: {{convert|365|ft|m|sp=us}}
Right Field: {{convert|330|ft|m|sp=us}}
| tenants = Stony Brook Seawolves (AEC) (2011–)
| caption = Joe Nathan Field in 2019
}}
Joe Nathan Field is a baseball field on the campus of Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, United States. The field is home to the {{cbsb link|team=Stony Brook Seawolves|school=Stony Brook University|title=Stony Brook Seawolves baseball}} team of the NCAA Division I America East Conference. It is located at the northern end of the school's athletics complex.[http://goseawolves.cstv.com/school-bio/ston-facilities.html Facilities & Directions] at goseawolves.cstv.com, URL accessed October 7, 2009. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090915175949/http://goseawolves.cstv.com/school-bio/ston-facilities.html Archived] October 7, 2009 The field opened on May 20, 2011, replacing Stony Brook's old baseball field, which was known as University Field from 2002 to 2011. The old facility was known as Seawolves Field through the 2002 season, when its name was changed to University Field.[http://goseawolves.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/stats/050702aaa.html Hofstra 17, Stony Brook 16: Box score] at seawolves.cstv.com, URL accessed October 7, 2009. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110726124953/http://goseawolves.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/stats/050702aaa.html Archived] October 7, 2009[http://goseawolves.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/stats/032503aaa.html Stony Brook 19, St. Peter's 11: Box Score] at seawolves.cstv.com, URL accessed October 7, 2009. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110726124958/http://goseawolves.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/stats/032503aaa.html Archived] October 7, 2009
The stadium is named after then–Minnesota Twins pitcher and Stony Brook alumnus Joe Nathan, after Nathan's $500,000 gift made extensive renovations possible. The stadium's construction cost was $1.3 million.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/towns/joe-nathan-christening-stony-brook-field-1.3279943|title=Joe Nathan christening Stony Brook field|date=October 28, 2011|first=Patrick|last=Whittle|website=Newsday|language=en|access-date=2019-04-02}}
History
In August 2008, the Joe Nathan Charitable Foundation donated $500,000 to the Stony Brook athletic department for the construction of a new baseball facility.{{Cite web|url=https://patch.com/new-york/threevillage/sbus-joe-nathan-field-makes-its-debut-friday|title=SBU's Joe Nathan Field Makes Its Debut Friday|date=2011-05-19|website=Three Village, NY Patch|language=en|access-date=2019-04-02}} Construction on the field took place from 2010 to 2011. Compared to the previous University Field, the dimensions of left and right field expanded from 320 to 330 feet, while center field was reduced from 410 to 390 feet, and the grass surface was replaced with FieldTurf.{{cite web|url=http://threevillage.patch.com/articles/sbus-joe-nathan-field-makes-its-debut-friday|title=SBU's Joe Nathan Field Makes Its Debut Friday|last=Mauser|first=Brett|date=May 19, 2011|work=Three Village Patch|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426020241/http://threevillage.patch.com/articles/sbus-joe-nathan-field-makes-its-debut-friday|archive-date=April 26, 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=December 21, 2011}}
The field opened on May 20, 2011, for a doubleheader against Albany.{{Cite web|url=https://stonybrookathletics.com/news/2011/5/20/baseball_opens_joe_nathan_field_with_sweep_of_albany_to_clinch_ae_regular_season_title.aspx|title=Baseball opens Joe Nathan Field with sweep of Albany to clinch AE regular season title|website=Stony Brook University Athletics|language=en|access-date=2019-04-02}} In the first game played on the field, Stony Brook defeated Albany 6–2. Nick Tropeano was the first player to pitch on Joe Nathan Field.{{Cite web|url=https://stonybrookathletics.com/sports/2016/8/25/facilities-ston-10-nathan-html.aspx|title=Joe Nathan Field|website=Stony Brook University Athletics|language=en|access-date=2019-04-02}}
Joe Nathan Field has hosted the America East Conference baseball tournament in 2011, 2012,{{Cite web|url=https://americaeast.com/documents/2021/2/9/Baseball.pdf|title = 20–21 Baseball RB (PDF) – America East Conference}} and 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://americaeast.com/tournaments/?id=3274|title = 2021 #AEBASE Championship - America East Conference}}
= 2021 championship game controversy =
Joe Nathan Field was typically barred from hosting the America East baseball tournament because the facility lacks lights to allow for nighttime play. However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the America East announced that the 2021 tournament would be held at the site of the regular season champion regardless of its standards, allowing for Stony Brook to host.{{Cite web |last=Singelais |first=Mark |date=2021-05-31 |title=Rainout ends local baseball players' shot at the NCAA tournament |url=https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Rainout-ends-local-baseball-players-shot-at-the-16214065.php |access-date=2022-05-05 |website=Times Union |language=en-US}}
This ended in controversy when the America East postponed and later canceled the championship game between Stony Brook and NJIT with Stony Brook up 1–0 with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third inning. As the field lacked lights, the game could not be completed and the America East awarded NJIT the bid to the NCAA tournament, despite Stony Brook being regular season champions, because NJIT had yet to lose in the double-elimination tournament while Stony Brook had lost once.{{Cite web |last=Rubin |first=Roger |date=2021-05-31 |title=Stony Brook baseball team doesn't get chance to play for berth in NCAA Tournament as rain cancels America East final |url=https://www.newsday.com/sports/college/stony-brook/stony-brook-baseball-ncaa-tournament-m66337 |access-date=2022-05-05 |website=Newsday}} The decision resulted in significant negative backlash against the America East.{{Cite web |last=Tam |first=Ethan |date=2021-06-12 |title=How the America East ruined their 2021 Baseball Championship — at the expense of Stony Brook |url=https://www.sbstatesman.com/2021/06/12/how-the-america-east-ruined-their-2021-baseball-championship-at-the-expense-of-stony-brook/ |access-date=2022-05-05 |website=The Statesman |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Lindsay |first=Matt |date=2021-06-03 |title=America East tournament ends in rainy disarray as Stony Brook baseball denied of championship opportunity |url=https://www.sbstatesman.com/2021/06/03/america-east-tournament-ends-in-rainy-disarray-as-stony-brook-baseball-denied-of-championship-opportunity/ |access-date=2022-05-05 |website=The Statesman |language=en-US}}
Later that year, Stony Brook athletic director Shawn Heilbron expressed a need to renovate Joe Nathan Field with a master plan completed, but needed to raise $5 million in order to make it happen.{{Cite web |title=Together We Transform Thursday: October 14, 2021 |url=https://stonybrookathletics.com/news/2021/10/14/together-we-transform-blog-together-we-transform-thursday-october-14-2021.aspx |access-date=2022-05-05 |website=Stony Brook University Athletics |language=en}}
Gallery
File:JoeNathanEntrance.jpg|The entrance to Joe Nathan Field
File:Joe Nathan Field.jpeg|Joe Nathan Field during a Stony Brook baseball game in 2019
File:Nathan Retired Jersey SBU.jpeg|Joe Nathan's retired No. 22 on the bleachers of Joe Nathan Field
See also
References
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- [https://stonybrookathletics.com/sports/2016/8/25/facilities-ston-10-nathan-html.aspx Joe Nathan Field]
- [https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/stony-brook-university-joe-nathan-field-master-plan Stony Brook University, Joe Nathan Field Master Plan]
{{The State University of New York at Stony Brook}}
{{Stony Brook Seawolves baseball navbox}}
{{America East Conference baseball venue navbox}}
{{New York NCAA Division I college baseball venue navbox}}
Category:College baseball venues in the United States
Category:Sports venues in New York (state)
Category:Sports venues in Suffolk County, New York
Category:Stony Brook Seawolves baseball
Category:Baseball venues in New York (state)