Tointon Family Stadium

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = Tointon Family Stadium
nickname = "KSU Baseball Stadium"


location = 1800 College Ave.
Manhattan, KS
broke_ground =
opened = April 7, 1961
closed =
demolished =
owner = Kansas State University
operator = Kansas State University
surface = FieldTurf (Infield), Natural Grass (Outfield) and Dirt
construction_cost =
architect =
former_names = KSU Baseball Stadium (1961-2002)
tenants = Kansas State Wildcats (baseball)
seating_capacity = 2,000 (after 2002 renovations)

Tointon Family Stadium is a baseball stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. It is the home field of the Kansas State University Wildcats college baseball team. The stadium holds 2,000 people and opened for baseball in 1961. It is named after Bob and Betty Tointon, who donated money for renovations in 2002.

Construction

Tointon Family Stadium opened as KSU Baseball Stadium in 1961, with a capacity of 1,500. It would be built around the existing diamond, now called Frank Myers Field, which hosted Kansas State baseball games since 1897. In 1907, the team won the Topeka Conference title, a first in K-State history. [http://www.kstatesports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=400&KEY=&SPID=222&SPSID=3229]

After the stadium's completion the field was dedicated on April 7, 1961, in honor of Frank Myers, K-State's baseball coach who retired the following year. It would be another 24 years until the team could play "night games" after lights were installed in 1985. [http://www.lib.ksu.edu/depts/spec/flyers/ksu-bldgs.html]

Renovations

In 2002, on its 41st anniversary, KSU Stadium saw the completion of its first significant renovation. The $3.1 million dollar project ended with the dedication on April 20, 2002, named in honor of Betty and Bob Tointon (Class of 1955).

New features included:
* State-of-the-art drainage and irrigation systems
* New home and visiting dugouts
* New seating for over 2,000 fans with 118 in the suites
* FieldTurf on the entire infield
* 3,150-square-feet locker room
** 33 custom-built wood lockers
** Bathrooms
** Shower Facilities
** Team Common Room
** New administration offices and facilities

The stadium is lined with the limestone donated by the Bayer Stone Company of St. Marys, Kansas to match main campus buildings, including Anderson Hall. In 2003 a state of the art lighting system, electronic scoreboard, improved warning track and permanent ticket booth were added, followed two years latter by new batting cages. [http://www.kstatesports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=400&SPID=222&SPSID=3223]

Historical notes

* The current 8-pole lighting system produces three times the illumination as the former system.
* The facility used a manually-operated scoreboard until the renovations in 2002, now using a 20-foot-tall by 36-foot-wide Daktronics scoreboard.

succession box
title = Home of the
Kansas State Wildcats baseball
years = 1961 –
before = Unknown
after = Present