Toadvine Blog

Thoroughbred fans at Murray State University have had a lot to celebrate on this 25 year anniversary of Reagan Field.

The Breds kicked off their opening game on Reagan field in late February after the first phase of improvements was complete and ready for fans. Current terraced seating was blended with the new grandstand to include an additional 550 seats behind home plate, 238 chair back seats, 300 bleacher seats, and 12 handicap seats. The new grandstand is part of a phased renovation plan for Reagan Field that will continue as fundraising goals are met. Future renovations will include stadium lighting, a new press box, and an indoor practice facility. Toadvine Enterprises was in charge of the project and Dant Clayton was the supplier for the new seating.

Although harsh winter weather continued to wreak havoc on construction of the facility and ultimately delayed opening day, the new, more intimate look of the field seemed to spark excitement on the parts of fans and players alike.

The 2014 season started off with a bang in the newly renovated Reagan Field when the Breds started out with a 4-2 record on the season with three wins coming over MAC teams. On March 7, Morehead State opened up play in Reagan field for the OVC tournament, a match up that Murray State has missed out on for the past two years. This year, the Thoroughbreds have come on strong, hosting a heavily contested title on their turf.

Other recent updates to the field include:

• A modern inning-by-inning scoreboard in left field was a gift to the university from Pepsi Cola Bottling in Paducah, Ky.
• In 2006 a new sound system and backstop was added.
• Climate-controlled press box and spacious dugouts for the Breds to plot game strategy.
• Lush grass carpet is the centerpiece of the facility, including a newly resodded outfield which was completed during the off-season last year.

The field first opened on March 11, 1989 when Illinois played Eastern Illinois prior to the Murray State game with EIU. In this game, Rick Grogan threw the first pitch and a day later, Willie Wilder hit the first MSU home run on the field.

On March 30 of that same year, the field was also the site of Johnny Reagan's 700th career coaching victory, with a 7-5 win over Lincoln Memorial. The field was officially dedicated on April 15,1989 and named after coach Reagan.

Murray State will finish up their OVC tournament play at the end of May with hopes of making it to the championship finals on May 21 to round out a stellar 25th anniversary for Reagan Field.

Loge boxes are areas of private seating that typically have an open space for mobile seating like folding chairs, but are bordered by railing. They give the spectator a more flexible viewing experience along with a little more privacy during the event. They also have the conveniences of drink rails, defined private spaces, and can be customized to your objectives. If you are a high school or collegiate sports program, you may wonder why you need something like this. Here are just a few examples of why loge boxes can really help your program.

A Way To Honor Special Guests
If you have faculty that you want to honor during events or during athletic matches, a loge box makes great sense for you. A loge box can be used at every event as a way to honor teachers, donors, sponsors, faculty, visiting governing officials, returning alumni, and others.

Create Option Between Luxury Suites and Club Seating
If you have luxury suites you can use loge boxes as the middle option and as a way to increase your revenue. If there are people reserving the luxury suites there will be a portion of spectators who would find loge boxes to be the price point that they are comfortable with and would be excited to reserve their own box for the season. If a business reserves the box you can suggest ad placement there in addition to or included in the price.

If Luxury Suites Are Too Nice
If your program is not at the point of having spectators open to the amenities of a luxury suite, loge boxes can become your high end offering to sponsors and spectators willing to spend a little more on their sports experience. Loge boxes do not have to be much different than the standard club seating. They can be different enough to fill them, but not too different that they don't fit into the environment of your overall facility.

Contact Toadvine Enterprises today with your questions and let us walk you through the benefits of loge boxes for your program. We look forward to your call.