Brent Brown Ballpark is new moniker

OREM — One of the jewels of UVSC athletics has a new milestone in its short history: The baseball stadium was renamed Brent Brown Ballpark at a ceremony at the stadium on June 13.

Brent Brown — namesake of the Utah County car dealerships — pledged $1 million over the course of 10 years to secure naming rights to the stadium that opened in 2004.

Ira and Mary Lou Fulton have also pledged $1 million to match Brown's contribution, part of their $10 million commitment fundraising program for the college as it transitions to a university next year.

UVSC Athletic Director Mike Jacobsen said the baseball stadium is the envy of its peers and the new name can't help but bolster the Wolverines' image.

"The name gives us additional credibility," Jacobsen said.

Jacobsen added that six schools came here for the Division I Independent baseball tournament last month and said that they haven't played in a finer facility than what is offered in Orem.

Besides being relatively new, Brent Brown Ballpark gives Wolverine athletics instant visibility from being one of the first views of the UVSC campus motorists see as they pass over the interchange at I-15 and University Parkway.

Long-time UVSC baseball coach Steve Gardner is also excited about the name change, especially since his team reaps the most benefits from the field.

"We're excited to have this ballpark," Gardner said. "With the new name, that's been awesome for the school."

It doesn't hurt that the stadium boasts 2,500 stadium-style seats and additional room for 2,000 more in the grass past the outfield fence. Batting tunnels under the stands, clubhouse facilities and a weight room on-site are luxuries that many Division I schools still yearn for.

Upgrading the athletic facilities on campus was one of the tasks UVSC's administration had to undertake as they make the transition to Division I status from the junior college ranks, with the Wolverines looking to become the first institution to make that leap.

With other facilities being upgraded, including the addition of an athletics service center to house academic advising for student-athletes and also renovations to the women's soccer field, there are only a few more pieces of the facilities puzzle left to fill.

An on-campus track still needs funding to get off the drawing table and if UVSC decides to field a football team, a plan for a stadium and practice fields need to be worked out as well.

Brent Brown Ballpark is sure to be featured in the final NCAA certification visit this fall, as the athletic program and the school go through a final-exam of sorts in preparation for full Division I status in 2009.