MOC baseball plans improvements

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on September 30, 2008 11:21 AM

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MOC Sports Information

MOUNT OLIVE -- Less than five months ago, the Mount Olive College baseball team captured the NCAA Division II College World Series crown.

A 23-year dream for head coach Carl Lancaster finally became reality.

Now Lancaster has another dream -- improving Scarborough Field. The College is starting a fund-raising campaign that will support improvements to the baseball program.

"Our baseball team has been one of the top teams in the country for several years," said Lancaster. "If we continue to play at this level, we must upgrade our facilities to be in a position to host regional and national championship events."

Chief among the capital investments will be improved spectator seating, a family pavilion and new, larger dugouts. All of the modern-day additions are expected to enhance the baseball program not only for the players, but for the many parents and community supporters who follow the team each year.

Trojan fans will benefit from the improved seating and family pavilion.

Since it was designed for a very different era, the current bleacher seats at Scarborough Field are inadequate to accommodate the game crowds, especially for postseason competition.

The new spectator seating will be more of a stadium-style with elevated seating that will accommodate 50 chair back seats and 400 bleacher seats. The family pavilion will include a picnic shelter and playground equipment along the right field line.

"The baseball program, as well as the College, is known for its commitment to its student athletes and support of the local community," said Mount Olive businessman George Kornegay, a long-time supporter of Trojan athletics. "It is now our turn as community members and businesses to pledge our support of the MOC baseball program."

Mount Olive claimed the school's first national championship in any sport. The Trojans defeated Ouachita (Ark.) Baptist 6-1 in the title game and finished a perfect 4-0 during their first-ever CWS appearance.

"An opportunity to achieve something like this cannot happen without the involvement of many people," said Lancaster. "It is my hope that we will have the community support to not only achieve but exceed our ultimate goal."

For more information about the Mount Olive College Baseball capital improvement project, contact Jeff Eisen, director of athletics at MOC or Chris Wood, vice president for Institutional Advancement at (919) 658-2502 or email cwood@moc.edu.