Ralph McKinzie Field
{{Short description|Baseball venue in DeKalb, Illinois}}
{{Infobox stadium
| name = Ralph McKinzie Field
| image =
| fullname =
| former_names =
| location = Stadium Drive, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
| coordinates = {{coord|41.935262|-88.779938|display=title,inline}}
| broke_ground =
| built = 1965
| opened = April 10, 1965
| renovated = 1993, 1994, 2011, 2022
| expanded =
| closed =
| demolished =
| owner = Northern Illinois University
| operator = Northern Illinois University
| surface = Natural grass
| scoreboard = Electronic
| estimated_cost =
| suites =
| architect =
| project_manager =
| structural engineer =
| services engineer =
| general_contractor =
| main_contractors =
| capacity = 1,500
| record_attendance =
| executive_suites =
| dimensions = 312 ft. (LF)
368 ft. (LCF)
395 ft. (CF)
368 ft. (RCF)
322 ft. (RF)
8 ft. (outfield fence)
| acreage =
| tenants = Northern Illinois Huskies (NCAA) (1965–present)
}}
Ralph McKinzie Field is a baseball venue in DeKalb, Illinois, United States, on the campus of Northern Illinois University (NIU). It is home to the NIU Huskies baseball team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The field is named for Ralph McKinzie, former head coach of the program. Built in 1965, it has a capacity of 1,500 spectators.{{cite web|title=Ralph McKinzie Field|url=http://www.niuhuskies.com/facilities/bsb.html|work=NIUHuskies.com|accessdate=26 May 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016031821/http://www.niuhuskies.com/facilities/bsb.html|url-status=dead|archivedate=2012-10-16}}
History
The field was constructed in 1965 and hosted its first game on April 10, 1965, in which NIU was defeated by Wisconsin 13–1. NIU won its first game at the venue on April 30, 1965, defeating Central Michigan 10–5.
On May 8, 1993, the field was dedicated to Ralph McKinzie, who coached the program in 1945 and 1949 from 1956. McKinzie led the program to Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) titles in 1950 and 1951.
Renovations
In 1993, a new press box and grandstand were installed. In 1994, new fencing was added. Prior to the 2011 season, the playing surface and bullpens were improved.{{cite web|last=Peters|first=Zach|title=Ralph McKinzie Field's Facelift|url=http://cstv.collegesports.com/mt/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=70&tag=Ralph%20McKinzie%20Field&limit=20&IncludeBlogs=70|work=CSTV.CollegeSports.com|accessdate=26 May 2012|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240526000930/https://www.webcitation.org/67x98ezyR?url=http://cstv.collegesports.com/mt/mt-search.cgi%3Fblog_id=70&tag=Ralph%20McKinzie%20Field&limit=20&IncludeBlogs=70|archivedate=2024-05-26|url-status=dead|date=20 April 2011}}
Other uses
In addition to NIU baseball, the field has hosted high school baseball prospect camps.{{cite web|title=NIU Baseball Prospect Camp Brochure|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/niu/sports/m-basebl/auto_pdf/niu-camps-09-basebl-topdawg.pdf|work=CSTV.com|accessdate=26 May 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090520/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/niu/sports/m-basebl/auto_pdf/niu-camps-09-basebl-topdawg.pdf|url-status=dead|archivedate=2016-03-04}}
See also
References
{{Northern Illinois University}}
{{Mid-American Conference baseball venue navbox}}
{{Illinois NCAA Division I college baseball venue navbox}}
Category:College baseball venues in the United States
Category:Baseball venues in Illinois
Category:Northern Illinois Huskies baseball
Category:Sports venues completed in 1965
Category:1965 establishments in Illinois
Category:Buildings and structures in DeKalb County, Illinois