(Seguin) — The possible future of the Seguin Matador Baseball and Softball programs got a little clearer this week.
In fact, that clarity was delivered through architectural renderings and blueprints for what is being proposed as the future Matador Baseball/Softball Complex. A few months ago, the Seguin ISD gave the go ahead for the footprint in the hopes of being able to one day consider the funding of the $7 million project. The design calls for the complex to be built at the current baseball practice field and softball stadium currently located south of the Seguin High School campus off College Street.
Delivering the renderings in detail to members of the Seguin ISD Board of Trustees was Robyn Popa of Pfluger Architects.
“What we are proposing is that the two fields would stay in basically their same location, and we would be rotating the baseball field so that we can better maximize the efficiency of those two fields and those two programs sharing some of those combined support facilities. So, baseball field on the left with its support of spaces and elements surrounding it and then the softball field on the right and then highlighted in the red dash are a couple of those shared spaces,” said Popa.
She says much attention was also put into the shared space throughout the complex allowing for one or two games at a time.
“The plaza that is in between the fields, we effectively nicknamed Matador Plaza for now but the three diamonds that you see in the middle, those are those three trees that are right there along the back of the softball field, so we are being cognizant of those existing elements and working around them. The concession and restroom building are very reminiscent of the concession and restroom buildings that you see at the stadium so it’s a very efficient design and then there’s a single building in the middle that will be the ticketing and entry point for the complex. It will have two windows so you can two lines, but it will be one building. An enlargement of that what you will see is the concessions are kind of in that upper left corner of the building. The men’s restroom has nine fixtures in it and the women’s restroom has 17 fixtures. I remember everybody’s shock and awe when we talked about the number of fixtures over at the stadium. So, this is not nearly as many, but it is quite a few,” said Popa.
As far as the components that are specific to the baseball fields themselves, Popa says her team tried to be as efficient as possible.
“We have the visitors’ dugout on the plan’s northside. We have bleachers that are designed to see 750 spectators. The home dugout on the plan’s southside and a dedicated batting cage for that team. The dugouts, they were requested to be a sunken or recessed dugout, so we are making design strategies and decisions to implement that. Obviously in this area, we have to be very cognizant of drainage so that’s one of the things that we are paying very close attention to with a sunken dugout. Softball components are very similar. Plan north for them has the batting cages. Home dugout being on the plan northside, their bleachers are designed to seat 600,” said Popa.
Now that the designs are on the table, the next step for the district will be to figure out how to pay for it. Providing those possible options is Seguin ISD Superintendent Dr. Matthew Gutierrez.
“I think what I want our community to know especially those who have been very interested and excited about our baseball, softball complex is that we feel strongly about our students having access to a top-notch facility just as other districts do and right now, our students don’t, and they have not for a number of years. Right now, we are looking at the design phase of that facility so that when the dime comes and we have the funds, we can move dirt rather quickly. The decision that needs to be made at this point is how that would be funded and we have our long range facilities committee that is going to be coming together again very soon to determine whether that would be something that would go on a bond measure in the near future or would it be something that the board of trustees considers funding out of fund balance or even partially funding and looking at bond dollars for the remaining (amount),” said Gutierrez.
Dr. Gutierrez says the baseball/softball complex is just one of many things that are needed and being considered in the school district.
“We are looking at land for the future and of course, academic needs that are stemming from the result of COVID and so we really have to have some tough conversations about how we want to move forward but the great news is that that facility could be in place in the very near future because even if we were to look at putting that on a bond measure, that would be likely in November or at the latest in May of 2023 so we could be looking at a new baseball/softball sports complex in at least two years possibly three years down the road but I think what gives people confidence in that that is going to happen is that they are already seeing a vision of that facility by looking at some renderings and so, it’s a matter of making the determination as the best course of action to take as far as funding that complex,” said Gutierrez.
Currently, the Matador Softball program plays at its field on campus while the Matador Baseball team plays at the Seguin Parks and Recreation Smokey Joe Field at the Seguin Events Complex.
Prompting these designs were the current conditions of both playing fields. Coaches say the conditions, even the ones at Smokey Joe, are not up to par and remain extremely dangerous. Plus, baseball players must commute to the off site for either practice or games.
