TCC welcomes South Georgia for Eagle Field opener

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (February 1, 2013) - After five consecutive games on the road, FCSAA No. 9 Tallahassee Community College will play its 2013 home opener on Friday afternoon when it welcomes South Georgia College to new-look Eagle Field for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch. 

Tallahassee is off to a 4-1 start after a 12-4 win at South Georgia on Tuesday in the front end of the teams' home-and-home series. A quick two-game homestand will continue on Saturday when Abraham Baldwin (Ga.) Agricultural College visits for a 2 p.m. first pitch. 

Friday won't be just any home opener for the Eagles, however. While the players and coaches will continue to garner most attention, it will be hard for anyone to overlook the transformation that has taken place at Eagle Field since the close of the 2012 season. 

Last summer, TCC's athletic department launched a major renovation project at the facility, the first since it was constructed in 1991.  

Installation of approximately 13,000 square feet of artificial turf along both foul lines, on the "hips" behind home plate and in both bullpens was the project's most dominant feature, in spatial terms. But a 13-foot section just behind home plate is arguably, the most striking - that's where a large interlocking "TCC," complete in the school colors of royal blue and gold was woven into the turf, providing one of the most dominant branding elements at any of TCC's athletic facilities. 

The renovation project also featured a rebuilt infield, complete with new sod, tilling the diamond, installing stabilizer to the clay area and rebuilding the pitcher's mound. 

To aid in the field's drainage, 500 feet of drain tile was added and the playing surface was laser-graded. 

TCC now boasts one of the top playing surfaces in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). 

"It (the field) is going to play perfectly, it will be like a major league infield," added McLeod. 

Once the on-the-field work was complete, the backstop took center stage. New wall padding was installed on the lower half and a matching blue wind screen was placed on the upper half. 

Both dugouts also received a bit of a facelift, as new guardrail padding was added from end to end. 

Although Friday's game will not be the first event since the renovation project was completed, it will mark Tallahassee's first regular season game at the "new" Eagle Field.