Baseball Launches Facility Upgrade Fundraising Campaign
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The University of Miami announced a commitment to Hurricane Baseball Friday, kicking off a fundraising campaign to help renovate facilities inside Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
The $7 million campaign will support funding for a new scoreboard, as well as renovations to the Hurricanes locker room players lounge and nutrition center. The renovations are the second phase in renovations to Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field, following the planned construction of a state-of-the-art indoor practice facility set to break ground this Fall that will house batting cages, bullpens and a multi-purpose area.
“Hurricanes Baseball is one of the most historic and successful programs in college baseball and we are committed to supporting our student-athletes and coaches on and off the field to ensure we continue that winning tradition,” Miami Director of Athletics Blake James said. “These state-of-the-art facility renovations will help our baseball team continue to Build Champions and compete at the highest level year after year.”
Head baseball coach Gino DiMare, who played for legendary head coach Ron Fraser from 1989-92 and was an assistant on Jim Morris’ staff for 19 seasons, kicked off the fundraising campaign with a contribution of $500,000.
“This program has given so much to me and I feel that I owe it to give back,” DiMare said. “I believe in our program and what we are doing and I am committed to do everything I can to help us be the very best.”
Renderings displaying the facility upgrades were unveiled publicly for the first time on Thursday evening at a reception held at the home of University President Julio Frenk.
“Facilities play a major role in our ability to recruit the top players in the country, as well as develop our players to be the very best while they are here,” DiMare said. “Getting top talent and developing that top talent is the essence to being a successful program. These improvements will help make that happen.”
DiMare returns for his second season at the helm of the Miami baseball program after an impressive 2019 debut campaign, winning 41 games and returning to the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2016. The Canes earned the 46th postseason berth in program history and reached the Starkville Regional final before falling to No. 6 Mississippi State.
Miami closed out the 2019 season ranked in the top 25 of every major poll, finishing as high as No. 19 in the final edition of the D1Baseball Top 25. Miami came in at No. 22 in the Baseball America Top 25 and No. 24 in Collegiate Baseball’s NCAA Div. I Baseball Poll. The Canes were also ranked No. 24 in the final NCBWA Division I Poll.
The Canes also brought in a talented recruiting class that has ranked as high as No. 6 nationally and is considered among the best incoming classes in the country.
For more information on how to make a gift in support of this project, call the Hurricane Club at (305) 284-6699 or visit https://miamihurricanes.com/FundBaseball.
