St. Louis, Mo. – The Washington University in St. Louis Department of Athletics officially broke ground on its modernization of Kelly Field at Irv Utz Stadium on Tuesday morning.
 
The complete overhaul of Kelly Field is a continuation of the commitment from the Associate Vice Chancellor & Director of Athletics, Anthony J. Azama, to enhance the experience for WashU Scholar-Champions.  His experience from the SEC to the Ivy League as both a former student-athlete and working in athletic administration is paying huge dividends to furthering the vision and strategic plan of the athletic department.
 
"The realization of this moment and the immediate impact it will have on the program could not be a reality without the commitment of our Chancellor Martin, Vice Chancellor Gonzalez, Head Baseball Coach Pat Bloom and the numerous men over the years who helped build this baseball program. Our athletic classrooms teach more than the game, it provides life lessons that are transferable to the workplace," said Azama. "I look forward to utilizing this opportunity to connect the current and future student-athletes to our enthusiastic alumni."
 
The upgrades, which are projected to be completed by the end of the 2022 calendar year, will feature multiple components that will enhance the student-athlete experience at WashU.
 

1. The Field: The field will be outfitted with new synthetic turf and the surrounding areas will feature landscape turf. The turf will honor St. Louis with a depiction of the Arch.
2. Safety: Work will be done to the structure of the field to make the playing surface more level. There will also be a new backstop, new spectator safety netting and new dugout safety netting.
3. Player Development Area: New batting cages and a new bullpen area to further develop our baseball Scholar-Champions.
4. A new press box.

 
"Today marks the beginning of a transformative change for WashU Baseball," said Head Coach Pat Bloom. "A project like this doesn't come to fruition without the hard work and contributions of many people. To that end, we are grateful for the steadfast support that we have received from University leadership – especially from our Director of Athletics Anthony Azama. This has been a dream of mine for 20 years, and I am excited to share this dream with all of our past, current, and future Bears."
 
Since it was built in 1984, Kelly Field has only had minimal upgrades, including a resurfaced infield in 2015 and a new press box in 2005. The renovation comes on the heels of the 2020 season, in which the Bears reached the World Series for the first time in program history.
 
In attendance on Tuesday was baseball alum Mitch Margo, who graduated in 1977. At the time of his graduation, he was the all-time leader in home runs, hits, doubles and RBI. Margo helped found the W Club and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.
 
"It's very exciting for me to be a part of this," said Margo. "Back when I was a student-athlete at Washington University, nothing like this could ever happen so seeing it today is heartwarming to say the least."
 
For those interested in supporting this project, contact athletics@wustl.edu or make a gift to the W Club HERE.