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S
P O R T S > STORY
'Shorty'
gift big for team
Donation from couple allows new softball field
by
Lisa Miller
Daily
Illini sports reporter
Jesse
Evans The
Daily Illini |
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Shovels await the ground-breaking ceremony for the Eichelberger
Field on Saturday morning. The field will provide a place
for the women's softball team to host home games and was made
possible by a gift from Lila Jeanne "Shorty" Eichelberger.
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The softball
team will finally have a home.
Saturday marked the official groundbreaking ceremony for the softball
field, to be located at Florida and Goodwin avenues. The field
is a result of a donation by Lila Jeanne "Shorty" and the late
Paul Eichelberger.
"Women's softball represents the 19th sport here at the University,"
athletic director Ron Guenther said. "When baseball started here
120 years ago, they didn't have a field either."
The softball stadium, named Eichelberger Field, will include lights
and permanent seating for 1,500 fans. Guenther said the seating
will mirror that of the baseball field. The first phase of the
$2 million field will be complete by fall, and the team will be
able to play in the stadium at the beginning of the spring 2001
season. The second phase of the project will add restrooms and
a concession stand.
"I am eager to witness
the construction of a new facility that will bare the Eichelberger
name," University Chancellor Michael Aiken said. "It is clear
that Shorty and Paul have strengthened scholarship and athletics
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign."
Without a home field, the Illini team has had to play their inaugural
season on the road. Illinois head coach Terri Sullivan said it
will be nice to come home.
"The field is going
to be fan-friendly to develop a following for the team," she said.
"It's a state-of-the-art field comparable to the best in the nation.
And thanks to Shorty, not only do we have a field of dreams, we
have a dream field to play on."
The construction of the field is the eighth major project for
the University's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics during
Guenther's administration. Eichelberger said this project was
especially important to her because her late husband Paul was
a fastpitch softball pitcher.
"I wanted to promote Paul's sport, and I had the desire to help
women's sports," she said.
The field will help to promote the Illinois team, junior outfielder
Reed Evans said. The Champaign native said softball is a largely
followed sport in the area.
"The whole atmosphere here is what does it. I think the stadium
will attract a lot of people to come see what the team is all
about," Evans said. "But for the most part, I think this town
is more or less into softball, and the sport will attract people
itself to the game."
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