Charlie Smith Field | |
Address | Plaza Deportes |
---|---|
Location | San Diego, California |
Coordinates | 32°46′28″N117°04′42″W / 32.77437°N 117.07845°W |
Owner | San Diego State University |
Operator | San Diego State University |
Capacity | 3,000 (Baseball) |
Field size | Left Field – 340 feet (104 m) Left-Center – 365 feet (111 m) Center Field – 412 feet (126 m) Right-Center – 365 feet (111 m) Right Field – 340 feet (104 m) |
Surface | Grass |
Construction | |
Broke ground | August 21, 1996 [1] |
Opened | 1997 |
Construction cost | $4 million USD |
Architect | Populous |
Tenants | |
San Diego State Aztecs (NCAA) (1997–present) San Diego Surf Dawgs (GBL) (2005–2006) |
Tony Gwynn Stadium is a ballpark in San Diego, California, located on the campus of San Diego State University. The stadium is home of the San Diego State Aztecs baseball team. The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The stadium opened in 1997 and hosts a capacity of 3,000.
The original stadium was named Smith Field in honor of Charlie Smith, the longtime San Diego State head baseball coach. The stadium was demolished and rebuilt in 1997 at a cost of $4 million, funded largely thanks to a donation by John Moores, then owner of the San Diego Padres. The renovated stadium was named in honor of Tony Gwynn, a Hall of Fame superstar for the Padres. The playing field is still known as Charlie Smith Field. [2] As an undergraduate, Gwynn played both baseball and basketball for the Aztecs. He became San Diego State's head baseball coach after he retired from the Padres.
The San Diego Surf Dawgs of the independent Golden Baseball League used the park as their home field from 2005 to 2006.
Among the amenities contained within the stadium are the following:
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The Padres were founded in 1969 as one of four expansion teams to the league. The team's name, Spanish for "fathers", refers to the Spanish Franciscan friars who founded San Diego in 1769.
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system.
Anthony Keith Gwynn Sr., nicknamed "Mr. Padre", was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played 20 seasons (1982–2001) in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres. The left-handed hitting Gwynn won eight batting titles in his career, tied for the most in National League (NL) history. He is one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. Gwynn had a .338 career batting average, never hitting below .309 in any full season. He was a 15-time All-Star, recognized for his skills both on offense and defense with seven Silver Slugger Awards and five Gold Glove Awards. Gwynn was the rare player in his era that stayed with a single team his entire career, and he played in the only two World Series appearances in San Diego's franchise history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, his first year of eligibility.
San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in San Diego, California. The stadium opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium and was known as Jack Murphy Stadium from 1981 to 1997. From 1997 to 2017, the stadium's naming rights were owned by San Diego-based telecommunications equipment company Qualcomm, and the stadium was known as Qualcomm Stadium or simply The Q. The naming rights expired on June 14, 2017, and were purchased by San Diego County Credit Union, renaming the facility as SDCCU Stadium on September 19, 2017; those naming rights expired in December 2020. Demolition of San Diego Stadium began in December 2020 with the last freestanding section of the stadium's superstructure felled by March 22, 2021. Following the demolition of San Diego Stadium, the San Diego State Aztecs' new Snapdragon Stadium, which opened in August 2022, was built in a different area of the parking lot.
Petco Park is a baseball stadium located in San Diego, California. The stadium is the home ballpark for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Christopher Karlton Gwynn is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is the younger brother of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn and the uncle of former Major League Baseball outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr.
Robert Andrew Meacham is an American former professional baseball shortstop, who spent his entire six-year big league playing career with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Since retiring from active play, Meacham has managed and coached for several organizations in the majors and minors.
The San Diego State Aztecs are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I, as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). San Diego State University sponsors 17 teams at the varsity level.
The San Diego State Aztecs football team is the football program that represents San Diego State University. The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I (FBS) as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team plays their home games at Snapdragon Stadium.
The 1997 San Diego Padres season was the 29th season in franchise history. The Padres finished last in the National League West. Right fielder Tony Gwynn had the highest batting average in the majors, at .372.
The Aztec Aquaplex, located on the San Diego State University (SDSU) campus in San Diego, California, USA. The facility is operated and managed by the Associated Students of San Diego State University, which sells passes for access.
The following is a franchise history of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. Prior to joining Major League Baseball as one of four expansion teams in 1969, the San Diego Padres were a Minor League franchise in the Pacific Coast League. The team won the Pacific Coast League title in 1937. The team's name, Spanish for "fathers", refers to the Spanish Franciscan friars who founded San Diego in 1769.
The San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team is the men's college basketball program that represents San Diego State University. The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team plays their home games at Viejas Arena.
The San Diego State Aztecs baseball team is the college baseball program that represents San Diego State University. The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team plays their home games at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
Sports in San Diego includes one major professional sports team, other highest-level professional teams, minor league teams, and college athletics. The most prominent team in San Diego is the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). San Diego FC will begin play in Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2025. The San Diego State Aztecs football and basketball teams play in NCAA Division I (FBS). The Farmers Insurance Open is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played annually at Torrey Pines Golf Course.
James Clyde Dietz was an American former baseball player and coach. He served as the head baseball coach at San Diego State University from 1972 to 2002, compiling a record of 1,230–751–18. After coaching the freshman basketball team and the junior varsity baseball team at the University of Oregon, Dietz was appointed as the head basketball coach at Lewis–Clark Normal School—now Lewis–Clark State College—in May 1971, but turned down that offer a week later to take the head baseball coaching position at San Diego State.
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team in Major League Baseball (MLB) based in San Diego, California. The club was founded in 1969 as part of the league's expansion. The team's hall of fame, created in 1999 to honor the club's 30th anniversary, recognizes players, coaches, and executives who have made key contributions to the franchise. Voting is conducted by a 35-member committee. Candidates typically must wait at least two years after retiring to be eligible for induction, though Tony Gwynn was selected during his final season in 2001 before the last game of the year. He was also the Hall of Fame's first ever unanimous selection. There are 19 members in the team's Hall of Fame, the most recent inductees being John Moores and Jake Peavy in 2023. The inductees are featured in an exhibit at the team's home stadium, Petco Park.
The 2018 San Diego State Aztecs baseball team represented San Diego State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I baseball season as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The team was coached by Mark Martinez and played their home games at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
ENS 700 Field is a multipurpose athletic and recreation field at San Diego State University (SDSU), located in the center of campus at the intersection of Campanile Mall and Aztec Walk. ENS 700 Field is the home field of the Aztecs men's and women's rugby teams.