New Bengals softball field the best in Big Sky, coach says

POCATELLO — The Idaho State University softball squad took nan section Monday for its first charismatic in-season believe of nan 2025 season. And they did truthful successful a redone facility.

What will now beryllium called Direct Communications Field astatine Miller Ranch Stadium underwent a complete overhaul, acknowledgment to a aid from Direct Communications.

For starters, nan playing aboveground was leveled. According to caput coach Andrew Rich, location had been a two-foot driblet from nan pitching rubber to nan halfway section fence.

More notably though, is nan truth that nan ungraded and writer of aged has been replaced by an all-turf field. The dugouts and property container person besides been rebuilt, pinch six cameras installed that will beryllium utilized for subordinate improvement purposes arsenic good arsenic for signaling practices and games.

“I don’t deliberation you tin count nan ways that it improves our program,” Rich told EastIdahoNews.com.

“This is now nan champion installation successful nan Big Sky, successful my opinion.”

ISU caput softball coach Andrew Rich stands connected nan team’s caller location field. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com

The effect of nan caller section has already been felt, Rich explained. The players person expressed excitement passim nan summertime — either driving past nan tract aliases asking to spot a unrecorded provender of it connected nan caller cameras. But nan level of effect will only increase.

With its caller field, nan softball squad will beryllium capable to get much on-field believe time, alternatively than utilizing nan ICCU Dome for preseason practicing. They will besides beryllium capable to schedule much location games, opening earlier successful nan year.

“We spell from having a section that we tin usage 5 to six months retired of nan twelvemonth to having a section that’s year-around,” Rich said. … “The ways we’re going to beryllium capable to usage this place, and what it’s going to do for our program, you can’t moreover put it into words.”

Recruiting is different facet of nan programme which will reap benefits from this caller development. Recruits will now sojourn what Rich said is nan only all-turf section successful nan state.

There is besides an advantage that will excite those imaginable early Bengals nan aforesaid measurement it does existent ones — successful nan shape of six fixed cameras.

Cameras connected some dugouts, down location sheet and successful halfway section are ever signaling and uploading video to a team-run server.

As Rich explained, players tin travel to nan section to activity connected hitting, fielding, pitching aliases immoderate and person contiguous entree to nan videos from their workout.

“From a subordinate improvement standpoint, nan cameras are 2nd to none,” Rich said. “The truth that we tin ever person movie and ever beryllium going complete everything … to person our games beryllium uploaded to nan strategy we usage for scouting correct distant … it feels for illustration a assemblage softball facility, much truthful now than it ever did successful nan past.”

Rich is besides hopeful nan caller section will thief turn nan athletics of softball passim nan organization and region — thing that has been a extremity of his since he was hired by ISU 3 years ago.

When it is not being utilized by nan Bengals, Rich hopes section precocious schoolhouse and younker softball teams will beryllium capable to make usage of nan field.

ISU will besides big younker softball camps and tournaments, successful hopes of increasing nan athletics that way.

“We’re going to make judge nan organization feels this arsenic well,” Rich said.

Having nan caller turf section is thing Rich has believed was basal since taking nan job, but is thing he thought would not beryllium possible.

“Now, to spot it really coming together, is conscionable awesome. It’s different measurement successful nan correct direction,” he said.

The Bengals will unfastened their caller section to regular play play connected March 8, erstwhile ISU will big Washington, Utah, Boise State and Montana for a week-long tournament. Washington, Rich believes, will beryllium nan first Big 10 squad to ever play a sporting arena astatine ISU, but he is hopeful they will not beryllium nan last.

The cardinal to expanding nan number of location games for ISU is getting teams to work together to travel to Pocatello for nan game.

“Part of that is putting connected a bully tourney that first weekend, and, hopefully, having a bully crowd,” Rich said.

The softball section improvement was funded done a $500,000 aid from Direct Communication — portion of much than $8 cardinal successful donations to nan institution during nan 2024 fiscal year, according to a news merchandise from nan university.

“This venue will beryllium nan crown jewel of each adjacent Big Sky Conference institutions,” nan merchandise says.