SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury Panthers baseball and head coach Scott Nasby announced that, starting with the 2017 season, their home games will be played at the newly renovated U.S. Baseball Park in Ozark, Missouri. The move coincides with a new partnership between Drury baseball and Aaron Sachs and Associates to help facilitate the transition.
The 4,000 seat stadium in Ozark was built in 1999 and earlier this year underwent more than $2 million in renovations that included the installation of artificial turf on the entire playing surface and the addition of $500,000 LED video board that towers over the right field wall.
The stadium re-opened last spring and hosted several weekend Drury games in addition to high school baseball, the first season of the Show-Me Collegiate Summer League as well as a concert.
In addition, the Great Lakes Valley Conference has announced the U.S. Baseball Park will serve as the host site for the GLVC Championship Tournament in 2017 from May 11-14.
"We are thrilled to call U.S. Ballpark Park our home for the 2017 spring season," said Drury head baseball coach Scott Nasby. "The surface is the best in the Midwest and walking into the stadium and seeing that 47-foot high video board is a feeling our kids deserve to have."
Panthers baseball will be in its 11th season since the program was revived after being dormant for more than 30 years. Since 2006, Meador Park in south Springfield has served as the Panthers home.
"A lot of memories have been made at Meador Park and will continue to spend a majority of our time there for practice and fall games," said Nasby. "The relationship we have been able to establish with the Springfield Parks Department has been vital to our baseball program. Moving spring games to U.S. Ballpark will allow the playing surface at Meador to be in much better shape year round.
"The partnership with Aaron Sachs and Associates to be our 2017 season sponsor is something our staff and players are extremely grateful for," continued Nasby.
The Panthers are scheduled to the open the 2017 baseball season at their new permanent home against Washburn University on Friday, Feb. 17 for a 3 p.m. game.
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