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By P.K. Daniel | Photograph: Bob Thompson

Before the pandemic spread across the globe, altering social behavior and halting sports, a group of University of Tampa alums gathered in person, energized by the Spartans’ 2019 NCAA Division II baseball championship, to rally around its beloved team.

Their graduation years spanned more than four decades — from around the millennium to the post-war era. Their business acumen varied as much as their career tracks. They began with a unified goal — tackling the wish list of longtime Spartans Coach Joe Urso ’92, the winningest coach in program history.

At first, the group met on campus, in a conference room in the Southard Family Building. When COVID-19 hit, they met outside at The Patio, a local watering hole. When that became impossible, they conducted Zoom meetings. Many projects were discussed and opinions expressed, but replacing the prone-to-flooding grass at the home of the eight-time NCAA Division II champions with a field of dreams was on the top of Urso’s mind.

“The field didn’t represent us very well,” said Urso. Games might be delayed for hours after a storm. Constant rainfall would delay mowing, resulting in overgrowth, and ultimately, would destroy the outfield. Practice would be canceled after a 15-minute downpour. The grounds crew would spend hours getting the field back into working condition, including dumping sandbags and kitty litter on it to try to soak it up.

“We spent several months together talking and then subsequently discussing with Coach Urso,” Keith Todd, vice president of Development and University Relations, said of the group, which included former UT baseball players, alumni and other program supporters. “We agreed that instead of having 14 different projects, let’s just pick one thing. And in this case, it turned out everybody agreed. We needed a new field, and so we coordinated around that.”

Timing was critical, as the group wanted the Spartans on the new field for the 2021 season. That meant they had less than three months to raise $1.2 million for construction to start in time. A $250,000 gift from the estate of Robert Begelman ’76, earmarked for the baseball program, got things rolling.

Guiding the way were 1970 alums and longtime friends and baseball supporters, Stu Williams and Fred Pollock. They were joined by Russ Bruno ’98, a former JV baseball player who also worked in the Athletic Department; Steve Mauldin ’90, a three-time Academic All-American and a member of the Board of Trustees; Billy Franchi ’06, who transferred into the Spartans baseball program; and second-round draft pick Sergio Perez ’06.

The time commitment, involvement and donations varied among the members themselves, with some pledging six figures, and despite the challenges of the pandemic, the group met its goal of donations and pledges in record time. There were 70 different donors. Alums accounted for more than half the total raised.

“We’re a top-notch baseball program in the country that a lot of people recognize,” said Urso. “When you win as much as we have, it really sparks the interest of the donors.”

The group takes that sentiment one step further. They credit Urso and his coaching staff, including Sam Militello ’02 and Jose Jimenez ’09, whom they deemed deserving of a field commensurate with the program’s success.

“My devotion to the baseball program comes more because of (Urso and Militello),” Franchi said.

Pollock, who with his wife, Jeannette, had previously made an endowed gift to support the baseball program, added to the praise.

“I’ve had scouts working for Major League Baseball tell me that our coaches are so good they could run a major league organization,” he said. “We have the most successful D-II program in the country.”

Though successful in its fundraising, one of the group’s goals wasn’t met. Challenges with obtaining building permits, coupled with pandemic-related supply-chain issues, meant ground wasn’t broken until June 2022, after the last out of the season. Even still, the installation was completed last fall, and the dedication of the state-of-the-art gem was on Feb. 17.

“It’s been an amazing experience to see the transformation,” said Bruno.

A day after Tropical Storm Nicole blew through north of Tampa last November, Urso walked the new Shaw Sports Turf field in his sandals. “There was a little bit of moisture on my flip flops, but we could have played ball,” said Urso.

Urso said if there’s no lightning, the Spartans are now able to play 30 minutes after a rainstorm. The new turf can handle up to 20 inches of rain an hour, keeping the field safe and playable.

As of 2022, five major league clubs — the Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays — play on artificial turf. While all five use some iteration of Shaw Sports Turf, the UT field is modeled after the Marlins’ LoanDepot Park field. The benefits are extensive. No longer will games or practices be canceled because of rain; it doesn’t require watering, pesticides or fertilizers, and thus, there is no contaminated stormwater runoff; and it looks and feels like natural grass, enduring high traffic while reducing the carbon footprint. Plus, new technology has reduced the concern for injuries that are sometimes associated with artificial turf.

“This new field is an incredible blessing for my final year at UT,” Spartans second baseman Drew Ehrhard said in January. “It has to be one of the most beautiful fields in all of college baseball, and the turf playing surface is an infielder’s dream.”

Todd recognizes the new field as a recruiting tool. “Taking nothing away from (the coaches), and they are superb recruiters,” he said, “but having first-rate facilities truly makes a difference to prospective college athletes.”

While the No. 1 item on Urso’s wish list has been granted, there are other things he desires for his program. In the meantime, though, the field of dreams awaits Spartans fans.

“It’s incredible,” said Tino Martinez ’11, the former New York Yankees first baseman who played at UT from 1986-1988. “It has a major league feel. With the lights on at nighttime and the city of downtown behind it, it looks amazing.”

A dream come true.