By Andres Cardenas

POMONA, Calif. - Scolinos Field is a shrine for Cal Poly Pomona's baseball program.

The Broncos have called the stadium home during its run of three NCAA Division II baseball titles (1976, 1980, 1983) under the guidance of legendary coach John Scolinos.

As hallowed as the grounds are, the amenities surrounding the field haven't changed much since 1970. The wooden stands, which can hold only 200 spectators, are weathered and rise from old cracked asphalt. There is no press box. The lack of plumbing surrounding the stadium means portable toilets for fans. This also means there are no showers for the players in the double-wide trailer serving as the locker room for the Broncos. And, there are no lights on the field, which prevents Cal Poly Pomona from being selected as an NCAA regional tournament site.

Thanks to the generosity of many donors, all of that will change. Renovations are set to begin this winter, starting with lights – funded by a gift from baseball alumnus Danny Andrews, who played under Scolinos. When completed, it will be one of four phases that will turn the stadium into one of the best in Division II.

"In all of Division II, it might be the mecca of facilities," says Cal Poly Pomona baseball coach Randy Betten. "When you look at those renderings, I think it will be a marquee establishment."

Sophomore catcher Christian Kelley says incremental improvements leading up to the major overhaul have made the team's bond stronger. He believes the future upgrades will move the Broncos program to the upper echelon of college baseball.

"It is going to greatly impact our program," Kelley says. "It is going to make players with higher skill sets want to come to Cal Poly Pomona and compete for our school. These changes will help continue the Broncos baseball team's success and hopefully very soon take the next step to placing in regionals and competing for a national championship every year."

The second phase of the project, currently in the fundraising stage, includes new batting cages, bullpens, new backstop, fencing and other improvements. The third phase has spectators in mind with 500 new seats, a press box, restrooms and other amenities.

The final phase brings it home with a new team clubhouse with showers behind the third base dugout. In all, the renovations will be in the ballpark of $5 million to $6 million. All of the upgrades and new features will help Betten with recruiting.

"I think it puts you at an elite status," Betten says. "We try to do that by wins and losses and graduating kids, but now you have the total package. You have the academic side, being highly competitive in a competitive conference, and now you have a facility to go with that. It's a win-win-win."

This is the second project in recent years to renovate Cal Poly Pomona's athletic facilities. Kellogg Gym phased in improvements in 2011 and 2012 by installing new lights, seats, flooring and other amenities for student-athletes and fans. Since then, the NCAA has selected Cal Poly Pomona to host two NCAA women's basketball regional tournaments in the last four years.
 
"The comments were, 'What a fantastic improvement,' " says Intercollegiate Athletics Director Brian Swanson. "Those that come in to play in the California Collegiate Athletic Association and/or NCAA regionals – coaches, colleagues and athletic department staff members say, 'My coaches say we have a terrific facility to play in now.' The question we were getting is what is the next facility we will modernize, and Scolinos Field is certainly our priority. We are extremely fortunate that our alumni and donors share in our vision of the new Scolinos Field."

Once the baseball stadium is complete, Betten says the campus will not only have a great stadium, but also a fitting tribute for Scolinos.

"I think it would be a great honor for him to have something of that magnitude named after him," Betten says. "It's state of the art, it's modern, it's new, it's exciting. Those are all the things he enjoyed about life."