June 11, 2018: Remembering the History and Looking Towards the Future
Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, located on the corner of Hull and Museum Roads, has been the home for Gator softball since ground broke on the project Feb. 1, 1996. The stadium, which originally cost $2.6 million to build, opened its gates Feb. 8, 1997 to 2,388 fans for the first-ever game against Stetson University.
Since then, the program has racked up over 370 wins at home and over a half million fans have walked through the gates of Pressly Stadium to watch the Gators play. Florida softball looks to continue its winning trend in front of UF’s faithful and rowdy fans in a freshly renovated stadium as construction is underway.
With the demolition phase expected soon, check back here for further updates on the progress of the renovation.
10 Unforgettable Games at KSP via FloridaGators.com Senior Writer, Chris Harry
Since Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium opened in 1997 for the inaugural University of Florida softball season, more than a half-million people have filed into the ballpark to watch one of the nation's most successful programs play 662 home games and win at better than an 81-percent clip. In 2008, UF went an astounding 39-1 at home on the way to its first Women's College World Series berth.
June 15, 2018: Demolition Phase
The renovation of Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium officially started the week June 11, 2018. Fencing was installed around the facility and heavy equipment was brought in preparation for the start of the demolition phase. The removal of bleachers began on June 12, with the demolition of the press box beginning the following morning.
The press box is the central hub from which staff, media, home and visiting radio, along with play-by-play and analyst for the numerous video broadcasts work from throughout the season.
The next step in the demolition phase will be removal of the team facility, which is slated to begin soon. A webcam, that updates a still photo every 15 minutes, was also installed on the scoreboard located in left center field for those who wish to follow the progress of the renovation.
Photo Gallery Video
The renovation process of Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium continued push forward as the construction phase is in full effect. Since the last update, construction for the new elevated press box and team operations building has made significant progress that is immediately noticeable as you drive by the stadium on Museum Road.
The foundation for the new team operations building took shape and came out of the ground. This building will hold the team’s locker room, athletic training room, and coaches’ offices among other things. Also, the structural steel was put in place for the new elevated press box, which now gives a glimpse of the unobstructed view of the field fans will see as they enter KSP Stadium.
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Season ticket renewals officially began Oct. 22, as renovations continued at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The new KSP Stadium layout was revealed which includes two new seating sections down the third base line, a plaza area in left field and the traditional berm seating down the first base line in right field.
Stadium Map Ticket Information
| Date |
Tickets Available |
| October 22 - November 30 |
Season Ticket Holder Renewals |
| December 5 |
Season Ticket Holder Relocations |
| December 11 |
New Season Ticket Holder Sales |
| January 7 - January 9 |
Single Game Sales to Season Ticket Holders |
| January 10 |
Single Game Sales to General Public |
Significant progress was made since last update in the beginning August and it marked the race to the finish as the press box and the team operations buildings were finally in place. As the exterior of the two main structures was nearing the final stages, crews were hard at work on the interior of each building along with prepping for new bullpen locations.
The construction team worked around the clock to make sure Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium was ready in time for the Gators 2019 home season opener.
Every day something changed at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium and fans might have noticed a few new structures since the last update. The new shade structures down the first base and third base lines went up and the structure for the new home bullpen is took shape. In the newly renovated KSP Stadium fans will notice a significant difference in the amount of shade provided by the elevated press box and the two shade structures, while the new bullpen houses four full size pitching lanes for the Florida pitching staff. Also improved the right field berm area took shape, which will flow down to the 360-degree concourse that will give fans a viewpoint from the outfield.
A new era began for the Florida softball program, the afternoon of Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 4 p.m., as a ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the newly renovated $15 million Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium before an exhibition game against Japan. Outside of the main gates in front of the stadium’s new elevated Rosemary Oberndorf Press Box, Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, Head Coach Tim Walton and Florida Vice President for Business Affairs Curtis Reynolds spoke about the transformation of the facility, along with the rich history and promising future of the stadium and the program.
After the ceremony, fans filed into the stadium to check out the new amenities that the facility now provides. Upon entering the stadium, fans first notice an unobstructed view of the field now thanks to the new elevated press box. Also noticeable was the amount of shade provided by two new shade structures that flank the left and right sides of the press box. Fans were also treated to chair back seating throughout the stadium and new views provided by a 360-degree walkway around the field.
Photo Gallery
The newly renovated Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium opened its’ gates to host Japan in an exhibition game on a warm Tuesday evening, it was the first game held in the facility since late-May. In the last game at KSP Stadium before the renovations, the Gators made more lifetime memories as the team clinched their ninth Women’s College World Series appearance in 11 years with a walk-off win over Texas A&M thanks to a three-run home run by Jordan Matthews.
After nine months of major renovations, the team and fans began to make new memories that started with a ribbon-cutting ceremony outside the main gates, a first pitch by former UF Athletic Director Jeremy Foley and a national anthem performed by Ken and Drew of Sister Hazel.
Senior Writer Scott Carter captured the essence of the historic day in his feature - It’s a Hit: Gators’ Revamped Home Has Winning Feel
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The Scorpio Corporation is a devoted and seasoned team of construction professionals who build to enliven communities and beautify cities. Scorpio has a long history of delivering superior quality and exceptional service on challenging projects of varying size, scope, complexity and budgets. The Scorpio team selected to oversee the renovations and expansion to the softball stadium has extensive experience delivering athletic facilities for UAA and other athletic organizations.
