Lehigh Baseball Holds Dedication for Walker Field
10/15/2017 5:45:00 PM | Baseball, Support
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball program held a formal dedication ceremony Saturday to unveil the recent upgrades to J. David Walker Field at Legacy Park and recognize the numerous donors who made the upgrades possible. The day was filled with stories, laughs, memories and an overwhelming sense of pride and appreciation for the generosity of the Lehigh baseball family.
The day marked the culmination of a multi-phase project that transformed a sandlot field into a state-of-the-art and aesthetically pleasing baseball facility. The first phase of the renovation was completed in time for the start of the 2015 season, which included new construction and installation of dugouts, bull pens, batting cages, bleachers, a press box and an artificial turf infield. The park was also given a new name, "Legacy Park," to honor the countless donors who made the renovations possible. The second phase of the renovation project was completed during the summer of 2017, which included a new scoreboard, a new batter's eye, a new outfield fence, a newly constructed pavilion in right field, a donor recognition plaza, new entrances and various branding throughout the park.
Before the start of the 2017 baseball season, the field was renamed "J. David Walker Field at Legacy Park." Twin brothers, James and Neal Walker, donated the funds for the naming rights and upgrades to the field, and decided to have the field named in honor of their father, the late J. David Walker. The connection between the Walker family and Lehigh baseball runs deep as James and Neal are childhood friends of Lehigh head coach Sean Leary.
J. David Walker was a well-respected professor of mechanical engineering at Lehigh University from 1978 through 2003. With the connection between the Walker family and Lehigh baseball, James and Neal decided what better way to honor their father's legacy than to have a field on Lehigh's campus named in their father's honor. The field also happens to be the same plot of ground where the brothers played pick-up games and practiced with their father as young boys.
Prior to the field dedication ceremony, a separate dedication ceremony was held inside the baseball locker room to honor Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame inductee N. Craig Anderson '60. The baseball program welcomed Anderson back to campus for the unveiling of the N. Craig Anderson '60 Wall of Records, which is now proudly displayed inside the team's locker room.
For a complete visual capsule of the day's events, along with a timeline of the most recent facility upgrades, please refer to the galleries posted below.
To view the galleries in a separate webpage, go to the Lehigh Photo Galleries page HERE. Select "Baseball" in the upper right drop down menu to view galleries specific to the baseball team.
Dedication Ceremony
Final Upgrades
Construction Photos
Baseball vs. Coppin State
Tuesday, April 29
Baseball vs. Penn
Wednesday, March 19
Baseball vs. UAlbany
Sunday, March 16
Season Preview Baseball
Thursday, February 13
