RU softball dreams of a world-class stadium
At each practice, members of the Radford Softball team can see the power of a program’s friends as they watch Radford Baseball play in its recently refurbished stadium. Proof of the willingness of private donors to step up and invest in the baseball program, the stadium is an inspiration to RU Softball.
The RU Softball program is peopled with talented, driven student-athletes like Nichole and Michelle Beall, who compete successfully on the diamond and in the classroom. The program has established itself as a Virginia and Big South Conference power with the top softball winning percentage in the Commonwealth and a pair of conference championships and NCAA regional tournament appearances. In fact, Radford Softball is making inroads as a nationally prominent program, one of only eight programs in the United States to have posted more than 40 wins per season in the past six years.
Central to the program’s aspirations is a new stadium of its own. The young program has established a record of drawing top student-athletes, a culture of dedication and excellence, and success at the state and conference levels. A new facility would lighten the travel load on Radford softball players, who last year played more than 70 percent of their games on the road, and make RU a destination of choice for players, fans and visiting teams.
Ja’Marcus Hampton, Director of Advancement for Athletics
“It is remarkable the success that Radford Softball has enjoyed and to think of the impact that a new facility will have. Well, the sky is the limit,” said RU Athletics Director Robert Lineburg.
Harnessing the momentum of the team’s success and engaging the Radford University community in the drive to build a fan-friendly stadium for Radford Softball are among the opportunities that have new Director of Advancement for Athletics Ja’Marcus Hampton excited.
“Our athletes love the campus, love the competition, and they can play with the best,” he said. “We hope to rally our alumni, friends and fans in this effort to build an RU softball facility that reflects the vision and success of the program.”
A home stadium with comfortable seating and unobstructed views for fans, as well as dugouts that can accommodate a Division I roster of more than 30 players and staff, will enhance the program’s on-the-field aspiration, to compete at the superregional level with the top teams in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.
“It is not something our players can work any harder to achieve. They can’t take any more batting practice, field any more ground balls or do any more conditioning. We need help,” said Lineburg, who points to the program’s swift and sure progress from the days when it shared a field with the intramural softball teams. “Private support will make this dream become real, and I guarantee our team’s work on the field will match the commitment of those who help us build a new home for RU softball.”