SJU baseball breaks ground on brand new clubhouse

There have been many new additions to the baseball facilities in recent years, including a turf field, larger dugouts and a grandstand with a press box. However, there’s one more upgrade on the horizon for the multi-million dollar facility. The SJU baseball team has been awaiting the highly anticipated debut of their new clubhouse. The clubhouse will provide the team with a locker room that connects to the third base dugout, a lounge area, recruitment room, deck, satellite training facility and access to laundry. Junior Joe Becker says there are many parts to the clubhouse that he is looking forward to but is most excited for the team to have a locker room year-round that they don’t have to share with another sport. Along with these countless improvements, the clubhouse also offers up numerous advantages against other programs, both in the MIAC and nationally. “A huge advantage will be recruiting. It will give recruits a much better reason to come play here. The facilities we already have here are amazing, so to add the clubhouse on top is nothing short of that,” Becker said. The new clubhouse also means a lot to junior Jordan Amundson, who said it was one of the main reasons he is coming back to SJU for his last year of eligibility. “Scott Becker and his family have given so much to our team, and we couldn’t thank them enough for all they have done for us,” Amundson said. Amundson believes this new addition to their facilities will offer a second home for the team for many years. The locker room will give them more room to move around freely and provide a quiet study place to stay on top of their academics. “I am really excited to see how many people come out to our games next spring to watch from the rooftop deck. It is going to be awesome. One of the things I am most looking forward to is to see how the training room works out. It will give us our own special place to bond and stay active as a team,” Amundson said. This clubhouse gives the program a good opportunity to show recruits how close the team is, and attract athletes to come, stay and enjoy their collegiate careers at SJU Amundson said. Assistant baseball coach Scott Becker is also thrilled for the new clubhouse. The team has never had their own space, so this gives them a home for the whole year. Additionally, the clubhouse will help build a stronger, more connected team since the players will be able to spend more time in a baseball environment. The clubhouse offers numerous advantages and benefits to the team with hopes of making an impact for the program both in the MIAC and on the national level. “We think it shows how much we value our players and are committed to the program. CSB and SJU have premier softball and baseball facilities in DIII, so we want to attract, in this case, young men that will make great Johnnies someday and help bring in lots of new students for the program,” Becker said. The idea for the clubhouse came to life because it could help make the overall baseball experience better for the players. Following the addition of the new scoreboard and countless other upgrades, Becker believed this was the final piece in the puzzle. “My wife and I think it is paramount to pay it forward and give back, so in this case, these Johnnies can have a great place to train,” Becker said. Head baseball coach Jerry Haugen is looking forward to the new clubhouse because the team will be able to have its own space all year. Previously, they had no locker space in the fall and had to use half of one of the football locker rooms in the spring. Now, the team’s gear will have a permanent home. Haugen is excited for the many advantages the clubhouse will serve the program. From recruiting to giving his athletes the best experience possible, the clubhouse will offer many amazing opportunities for the team. “Nationally, many good programs have extremely nice baseball facilities. This certainly puts us up with many of the top facilities. It is important to continue upgrading facilities. Other schools in the MIAC have done so or are currently upgrading. Our alumni have created a facility that shows that this matters,” Haugen said. Haugen recalls seeing other MIAC and upper Midwest schools build impressive facilities, along with playing regionals on some of the country’s finest facilities, which got him thinking about doing the same for SJU. “Many alums, mostly former players, have been amazing in their support. It has taken some time, but it is now happening,” Haugen said.