FAYETTEVILLE -- A $5 million pledge from the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation will go toward the construction of a $20 million to $25 million baseball clubhouse and performance center at the University of Arkansas.
UA Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek said last month construction of the Baseball Performance Center at Baum Stadium could begin in fall 2019.
Documents presented to the University of Arkansas board of trustees last month described three sources for project funding: a bond issue, gifts from donors and athletic revenue.
The facility -- estimated at over 40,000 square feet -- will be larger than what Vanderbilt University described as a $12 million, 30,000-square-foot facility near its baseball stadium that opened in 2017.
"As we continue to foster our mission of building champions and Razorbacks for life, we must ensure Coach Dave Van Horn and his staff have the resources necessary to recruit and develop the most talented baseball student-athletes in the country," Yurachek said in a statement.
The UA project's design, not yet complete, could lead to a new viewing area for fans, said university spokesman Kevin Trainor.
Exterior areas connecting the facility to Baum Stadium "will provide a vantage point to the field" from near the right-field wall, Trainor said, but "no determination has been made in regard to what potential viewing areas could be utilized (loge boxes, patio etc.)."
Features of the project include in-venue batting cages, a weight room and "state-of-the-art" locker room, according to the university.
UA and the Razorback Foundation announced the gift Monday.
Johnny Mike Walker, son of Willard and Pat Walker, in a statement released by the university said his family and the Fayetteville-based foundation "are committed to helping improve the Razorback student-athlete experience."
-- Jaime Adame
VOLLEYBALL
John Brown's duo earns regional honors
Jenna Lowery of John Brown University was named NAIA South Central Region freshman of the year and Jessica Meyer was named to all-region team.
Lowery had 545 digs, averaging 5.14 digs per set. She also had 35 aces on the season.
Meyer led the Golden Eagles in kills (239), kills per set (2.32) and finished second in attack percentage (.247).
Sports on 12/04/2018