Work begins on Hogs baseball and track indoor training building

Construction of the University of Arkansas’ new Baseball and Track Indoor Training Facility is officially underway even as funding is still being raised for the $9.6 million project.

According to the University of Arkansas Athletic Public Relations Office, $1 million has been raised for the facility allowing construction to begin with potential completion of the project as early as the summer of 2014. The facility will be funded by athletic revenues, additional gifts, and proceeds from a bond issue for the projects. The total project cost is currently estimated at approximately $9.6 million.

“The baseball and track indoor training facility will give the University of Arkansas the finest indoor training facilities for baseball and indoor track and field in the nation,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long said in the statement. “This facility vaults us ahead of our competition in the SEC and nationally. With this addition, inclement weather is no longer a factor for our baseball, men’s and women’s track and field programs.”

The baseball and track indoor training facility is located on the north side of the existing Randal Tyson Track Center. The facility will provide approximately 52,000 square feet of climate-controlled practice space, including a practice infield, throwing area, batting areas and ancillary team spaces. It also would allow all indoor track and field meet throwing events to be held in the facility, including the weight throw which is currently contested inside Walker Pavilion. The baseball and track indoor training facility will serve more than 150 student-athletes annually.

The design team on the project is Witsell Evans Rasco from Little Rock and HKS out of Dallas. Kinco Constructors Inc., the general contractor for the new baseball and track indoor training facility, has already completed preliminary site work including demolition of an existing parking lot and the front entrance of the Randal Tyson Track Center.

The baseball and track indoor facility is one of three projects part of the Never Yield fundraising initiative announced earlier this month. In addition to the baseball and track indoor training facility, the Never Yield campaign also will provide support for the basketball practice facility and Student-Athlete Success Center, moving forward with three key projects in the Razorback Athletics Facilities Master Plan.