Ralston Athletic Complex Project Will Enhance Experience of Student Athletes
The Gateway to the Future Campaign continues its goal of enhancing Wilkes University “brick by brick” with a project launching this summer at the Ralston Athletic Complex.
A multi-use field is planned that will transform the experience of student athletes with improved playing fields that will allow better scheduling of games and practices. It also will provide playing surfaces that will be better able to withstand the kind of weather that often accompanies a soggy spring in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Bruggeworth Field at the Ralston Athletic Complex, made possible by an initial leadership gift of $1 million from Wilkes alumnus Robert Bruggeworth ’83, will include a baseball field and a second, multi-purpose turf field that will be used by five sports: men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s lacrosse and field hockey. The Gateway to the Future Campaign has goal to raise an additional $1 million for this project as part of its overall campaign goal. Gifts of all sizes are being sought to support the project. Naming opportunities are available for press boxes, scoreboard, spectator areas and a pedestrian gateway on Northampton Street to Schmidt Stadium.
The new facilities will provide a competitive advantage for the teams using the fields. The Colonels baseball team will be able to play outside earlier in the season. Other teams playing on the multi-purpose field will no longer be dealing with practice and game cancellations because bad weather has rendered a field unplayable. The turf and improved drainage will mean that athletes can still compete there.
The more than 500 student athletes playing in the University’s 23 varsity sports teams as well as the many who participate in intramurals benefit directly and indirectly from this planned project. With the addition of Bruggeworth Field, more teams can be practicing or competing at the new facility and in the existing space in Schmidt Stadium. Scheduling problems – often a challenge for student athletes – will be greatly eased by the availability of expanded facilities.
The Bruggeworth Field project is the beginning of phased improvements to the Ralston Athletic complex that will continue over the next decade.
For more information about supporting the Gateway to the Future Campaign and its goals for the Ralston Athletic Complex, please contact Margaret Steele, chief development officer, at margaret.steele@wilkes.edu or 570-708-4302.
Naming Opportunities at Bruggeworth Field
Gifts of all sizes are welcome to support the Ralston Athletic Complex project. The following are among the available naming opportunities:
- Baseball press box
- Multi-use field press box
- Scoreboard
- Two spectator areas
- Pedestrian Gateway to Schmidt Stadium
Wilkes 