The Itch | |
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Location | Saluki Drive, Carbondale, Illinois |
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Coordinates | 37°42′17″N89°13′16″W / 37.704833°N 89.221205°W |
Owner | Southern Illinois University |
Operator | Southern Illinois University |
Capacity | 2,000 |
Field size | 330 ft. (LF), 375 ft. (LCF), 390 ft. (CF), 375 ft. (RCF), 330 ft. (RF) |
Surface | Field Turf / Dirt Mound |
Scoreboard | Electronic |
Construction | |
Opened | 1964 |
Renovated | 2014 |
Expanded | 1966 |
Tenants | |
Southern Illinois Salukis baseball (1964–present) |
Itchy Jones Stadium is a baseball venue in Carbondale, Illinois. It is home to the Southern Illinois Salukis baseball team of the NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference. The field, opened in 1964, [1] holds 2,000 spectators. [2] The field is named for former Southern Illinois baseball coach Abe Martin, and the venue was previously known simply as Abe Martin Field. [1] In 2014 after a complete renovation, the larger stadium was dedicated "Itchy Jones Stadium" after head coach Itch Jones. [3] [4]
After the field's 1964 construction, it remained undedicated until 1972. On April 30, 1972, the field was formally dedicated to Abe Martin. Martin coached Saluki baseball for 19 seasons (1946–1964) during a 33-year tenure at the university. [1] A scoreboard was also added around the time of the dedication. [5]
In the decades after the facility's opening, several minor improvements were made. In 1966, new bleachers, believed to have been taken from Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, were added. [1] Sportsman's, the former home of Major League Baseball's both St. Louis Cardinals and Browns, had closed earlier that year. [6] In 1988, a clubhouse was built. 2000 renovations saw bermuda grass installed in the outfield and batting cages beyond the right field fence. [1] In 2006, an electronic scoreboard was constructed past the right center field fence. [5]
As Martin Field entered its fifth decade of use, calls for improving the aging facility increased. [7] [8] [9] The facility, called "Ancient Abe" by writer Todd Hefferman, was the oldest in use by a Missouri Valley Conference team. [8] In 2011, plans were made to update the field. [10]
The university announced in May 2011 a fundraising campaign to renovate Abe Martin Field. Planned additions include stadium lighting, a press box, fencing, and new dugouts. A new seating structure was built, and Martin's combination rye and Bermuda grass surface was replaced by FieldTurf. [11] Saluki head baseball coach Ken Henderson supported the effort, saying, "To take the next step, to take that next big step, we've gotta have that facility." [8] Computer images Archived 2011-09-30 at the Wayback Machine of the future facility were made available. [10] On March 13, 2014, the field was officially renamed in honor of Jones. Jones was in attendance and threw out a ceremonial first pitch. [12]
Southern Illinois University is a public research university in Carbondale, Illinois. Chartered in 1869, SIU is the oldest and flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system. SIU enrolls students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Originally founded as a normal college, the university today provides programs in a variety of disciplines, combining a strong liberal arts tradition with a focus on research. SIU was granted limited university status in 1943 and began offering graduate degrees in 1950. A separate campus was established in Edwardsville, Illinois in 1957, eventually becoming Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Grizzlies Ballpark is a minor league baseball facility in Sauget, Illinois, that serves as the home ballpark for the Gateway Grizzlies of the Frontier League. Grizzlies Ballpark features reserved box seating, lawn seating, party suites, two hot tubs, and a section of bleacher seating. With the bleacher section added in 2004, the stadium's capacity has increased to 6,000 fans. In 2004, the Grizzlies became the first team in Frontier League history to draw over 200,000 fans for a season, finishing with a league best 217,500. ProGrass synthetic turf was installed in January 2012.
McAndrew Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. It opened in 1938 and was home to the Southern Illinois University Salukis football team, as well as the track team. It was replaced by Saluki Stadium in 2010.
The Southern Illinois Salukis are the varsity athletic teams representing Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The nickname comes from the Saluki, the Royal Dog of Egypt and the Persian greyhound, which ties into the fact that southern Illinois has had the nickname "Little Egypt" for just under 200 years.
The Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball team represents Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Carbondale, Illinois. The Salukis compete in the NCAA Division 1, and they play their home games at Banterra Center. As of March 2019, Saluki Hall of Fame basketball player, Bryan Mullins, has become the newest head coach of the Southern Illinois basketball program.
Morris Glenn Martin, also known as Abe Martin, was an American football player, coach of football, basketball and baseball, and college athletics administrator. He was the fifth head football coach at the Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU), serving from 1939 to 1949 and compiling a record of 31–42–5. Martin was the school's head basketball coach from 1943 to 1946, tallying a mark of 43–20, head baseball coach from 1947 to 1965, amassing a record of 281–156–2. He was also the athletic director from 1945 to 1953.
Saluki Stadium is a stadium on the campus of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. It is primarily utilized by the Southern Illinois Salukis football team.
The Southern Illinois Salukis football program represents Southern Illinois University Carbondale in college football. The Salukis are a member of the NCAA and compete at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level. The Salukis are a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and play in Saluki Stadium on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Carbondale, Illinois, which has a seating capacity of 15,000.
The Southern Illinois Salukis baseball team represents Southern Illinois University in NCAA Division I college baseball. They are part of the Missouri Valley Conference. Twenty-four Saluki Baseball alumni have gone on to the Major Leagues.
Bill Theunissen Stadium is a baseball venue in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States. It is home to the Central Michigan Chippewas baseball team of the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference. The venue has a capacity of 2,046 spectators and opened in 2002. It is named after Bill Theunissen, former Central Michigan baseball coach, who led the Chippewas to a 151-114-1 record during his tenure (1953–1962).
Roy E. Lee Field at Simmons Baseball Complex is a baseball venue in Edwardsville, Illinois, United States. It is home to the SIU Edwardsville Cougars baseball team of the NCAA Division I Ohio Valley Conference. The facility, which has a capacity of 1,500 spectators, is named for SIUE's first baseball coach, Roy E. Lee. The distance to the fences is 330 feet to right and left fields and 390 to center.
Richard C. "Itch" Jones is a retired college baseball coach.
Ken Henderson is an American college baseball coach with the Southern Illinois Salukis baseball team. He was named interim head coach before the 2011 season, after Dan Callahan died. Henderson had also served as interim head coach for the final 20 games of the 1994 season. He was named permanent head coach after the 2011 season.
The 2018–19 Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball team represented Southern Illinois University Carbondale during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Salukis, led by seventh-year head coach Barry Hinson, played their home games at the SIU Arena in Carbondale, Illinois as members of the Missouri Valley Conference. They finished the season 17–15 overall, 10–8 in MVC play, finishing in a tie for third place. As the No. 3 seed in the MVC tournament, the Salukis were upset by No. 6 seed Northern Iowa in the quarterfinals.
The 1971 Southern Illinois Salukis baseball team represented the University of Southern Illinois in the 1968 NCAA University Division baseball season. The Salukis played their home games at Abe Martin Field. The team was coached by Itch Jones in his 2nd season at Southern Illinois.
The 2019–20 Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball team represented Southern Illinois University Carbondale during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Salukis were led by first-year head coach Bryan Mullins and played their home games at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois as members of the Missouri Valley Conference. They finished the season 16–16, 10–8 in MVC play to finish in fifth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the MVC tournament to Bradley.
The 1955 Southern Illinois Salukis football team was an American football team that represented Southern Illinois University in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1955 college football season. Under first-year head coach Albert Kawal, the team compiled a 4–4–2 record. The team played its home games at McAndrew Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.
The 2009 Southern Illinois Salukis football team represented Southern Illinois University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Dale Lennon and played their home games at McAndrew Stadium. The Salukis finished the season with an 11–2 record overall and an 8–0 mark in conference play, winning the MVFC title. The team received an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, where they defeated Eastern Illinois in the first round before losing to William & Mary in the quarterfinals. The team was ranked No. 6 in The Sports Network's postseason ranking of FCS teams.
The 2008 Southern Illinois Salukis football team represented Southern Illinois University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Dale Lennon and played their home games at McAndrew Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. The Salukis finished the season with a 9–3 record overall and a 7–1 mark in conference play, sharing the MVFC title with Northern Iowa. The team received an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, where they lost to New Hampshire in the first round. Southern Illinois was ranked No. 11 in The Sports Network's postseason ranking of FCS teams.
The 2006 Southern Illinois Salukis football team represented Southern Illinois University as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by sixth-year head coach Jerry Kill and played their home games at McAndrew Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. The Salukis finished the season with a 9–4 record overall and a 4–3 record in conference play. The team received an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs, where they defeated Tennessee–Martin before losing to Montana in the quarterfinals. Southern Illinois was ranked No. 7 in The Sports Network's postseason ranking of FCS teams.