GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium 1.0 said goodbye in epic fashion less than nine months ago. Diehard fans of the Gators softball team need no refresher course.
For others who may be reading, the moment continues to ring in the ears of those in attendance that late-May evening. Then-freshman
Jordan Matthews at the plate. Florida down to its final out in Game 3 of the Gainesville Super Regional against Texas A&M. Matthews fouls off three pitches to stay alive, and then, a slice of history.
Matthews' three-run homer on the final swing in Pressly Stadium 1.0's history sent the Gators to the Women's College World Series for the ninth time in 11 seasons and concluded UF's 22-season run at their home as they knew it.
A ballpark is only as good as its memories -- and what a way to go out. Nine months later, what a way to say hello.
On a warm Tuesday night at the corner of Hull and Museum, Pressly Stadium 2.0 was unveiled in a starring role. Everything else was second billing. Imagine a blindfolded
Mick Hubert being led into the ballpark for the first time, and then the blindfold removed.
"
Oh My!" is right.
"One of those hair-on-my-arms-standing-up type of moments,'' Gators head coach
Tim Walton said of Tuesday's experience.
First, Walton participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony along with Gators Athletic Director
Scott Stricklin and other notables who played a part in making it all happen. Once the ribbon was cut and fans streamed inside for a first glance, rave reviews began to pour in.
Fans walked around the 360-degree concourse for different perspectives. Some plopped down for the first time in the new chairback seating. The players checked out the behind-the-scene areas where they spend so much time during the season.
"I think literally everyone's jaw just dropped when you walked into the locker room,'' pitcher
Kelly Barnhill said. "It feels like a really professional place."
The $15 million renovation project reshaped everything about the Gators' home except the actual field, which was protected during the construction.
As first impressions go, Pressly Stadium 2.0 is a hit and pushes so many of the buttons that define the program and its home state, whether it's the Stacy Nelson Plaza down the left-field line, or the palm trees swaying beyond the (thankfully) green outfield fences, or the new bullpens that allow fans to watch pitchers up close and personal.
Under Walton's direction the program has soared into national prominence and become a favorite of locals who enjoy the program's fan-friendly approach and community engagement.
"It's remarkable for the support it has drawn from Gators fans,'' Stricklin said.
Walton had an instrumental voice in the final product and wanted the stadium to be more than simply where the Gators call home. He mentioned Tuesday how odd it was on a game day to be concerned about interior decorating and carpet repairs as crews put finishing touches on behind-the-scene areas.
The work in the non-public spaces will continue later this week when the Gators head to Arizona following Wednesday's regular-season debut in Pressly Stadium 2.0 against North Florida. They will want to get back as quickly as possible.
"One of the best-looking, one of the best-feeling stadiums in the country,'' Walton said of the vision for the venue. "We didn't want to lead the country in attendance, we want to lead the country in experience."
First baseman
Amanda Lorenz offered a succinct review: "Our field is flawless. It's gorgeous."
On a night when the stadium was the star, few will remember the Gators lost to a Japan National Team expected to compete for the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Once former UF Athletic Director
Jeremy Foley tossed out the ceremonial first pitch in front of an announced crowd of 1,782, the Gators had few highlights as Japanese star Yamato Fujita struck out five in four shutout innings and went 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI in Japan's 8-0 win.
"That's one of the best players in the world,'' Walton said. "They are one of the best teams in the world."
Shortstop
Sophia Reynoso made an excellent diving catch in shallow left in the top of the sixth inning to give the home fans something to cheer about, but for much of the game, the game seemed secondary.
In the middle innings, after months of preparation and countless hours toiling in a construction zone, groundskeeper Stephen "Smiley" Peters and a pair colleagues took a seat on the walkway behind the left-field wall where a chain-link fence allows fans to watch the left fielder at work only a few feet away.
Peters took a moment to reflect and take a look around.
"It's beautiful,'' he said. "There's something special about it."
If a ballpark truly is only as good as its memories, then Pressly Stadium 2.0 is off to rousing start.
