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Baseball: Clubhouse highlights Packard renovations


ASU baseball recruits might see something this year that no other recruit has ever seen: a clubhouse.

Donors spent more than $1 million during the off-season to improve several facilities at Packard Stadium that had long been eyesores for the program.

Coach Pat Murphy is downplaying the impact of the improvements, which include 40 cherry lockers that bear name plaques of former players.

"Programs are not made by facilities," Murphy said. "The situation we had before with [the locker rooms] was deplorable, but it didn't keep us from being a top 15-ranked team every year."

Assistant coach Jay J. Sferra said past recruits were not shown the locker room during campus visits because of its rundown appearance.

"We try to sell development [to recruits] as people and as players over the extras," Sferra said.

Murphy said the team's veterans likely will feel more confident this season when they see what donors have done to recognize their hard work.

"I think the guys had a great sense of pride [before when their] locker room was potentially the worst in Division I baseball," Murphy said. "We never viewed it as a negative, and we never used it as an excuse for why we were not No. 1.

"There were a lot of programs that we were way behind, but this puts us on par with anybody on the West Coast."

Murphy said that as long as a stadium is functional and reflects the commitment the University and its donors have to the program, it shouldn't matter how high the park ranks on a national scale.

Even with a new office suite on the terrace level of Packard Stadium, Murphy insists that his staff is looking for players who value winning and team goals over lavish amenities.

Murphy said that since students don't decide on a college solely because of its dorms, players shouldn't commit to a school because it has the best clubhouse.

"We want to have the very best baseball program, and we are moving in that direction," Murphy said.

The recent improvements are merely the newest steps in a comprehensive plan to upgrade the program's facilities. Director of Baseball Operations Graham Rossini said more than $2.5 million has been spent on the field, plaza and clubhouse since renovations began in 2002.

Rossini is especially proud of the lockers that honor the program's rich tradition.

Forty alumni are expected to sponsor individual lockers. Former players such as Hubie Brooks, Jeff Duncan and Chip Gosewisch have committed as sponsors. Former Sun Devil Barry Bonds has not contributed to the project, Rossini said.

Players have benefited the past two seasons from a major league-caliber playing surface and improved drainage system, Rossini said.

"We wanted to take care of our player amenities first," he said. "Now we are going to shift our attention to improving the fan experience."

Rossini said fans will profit this season from improved handicapped access and Spring Training-style lawn seating, which was installed down the left-field line.

Reach the reporter atmark.saxon@asu.edu.


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