3 days ago
Murnane Field shows off new upgrades
UTICA, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) — Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente was joined by baseball teams from all over the city to unveil the new upgrades to Murnane Field on Tuesday.
The field — which has been owned by Oneida County since 1990 — got several new upgrades over the last several months, including a synthetic turf field and LED field lighting. Other upgrades to the field include improvements to fencing and safety netting, as well as to the bullpen and batting cages in the outfield.
'These improvements transform Donovan Stadium into an even greater community asset, making Murnane Field much less susceptible to inclement weather and extending the baseball playing season to earlier in the Spring and later in the Fall,' Picente said in a statement. 'This will result in more play for collegiate, high school, American Legion and multiple youth baseball leagues; provide stability for PGCBL games and increase baseball tourism by giving Oneida County a premier venue to host tournaments, special one-off games and camps.'
Current tenants of the field include the Utica Post 229 American Legion Baseball Team, Mohawk Valley Community College, Proctor High School Baseball and the Utica Blue Sox of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.
The stadium was also home to the New York-Penn League Utica Blue Sox from 1977 to 2001. Both are featured in author Roger Kahn's book 'Good Enough To Dream,' where the author owned the Blue Sox for one year in 1985.
The field has also hosted several Section III Baseball Tournaments and state American Legion tournaments.
The first game to be played on the new Murnane Field turf will be Wednesday night, when the Utica Blue Sox take on the Boonville Lumberjacks. First pitch for that game is set for 6:45 pm.
'This is a great day,' Oneida County Board of Legislators Chairman Gerald J. Fiorini said in a statement. 'This significant upgrade will allow Murnane to host more games and more fans enjoying this venue. This field represents not just a modern place to play ball, but a space where county residents will gather.'
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