Huskies Are Winners with a New Women's Softball Field

A victory caps the opening of East Los Angeles College's new $1.3-million sports facility

Welcomed by the smell of freshly cut grass and popcorn, sports fans and community residents filled the bleachers of East Los Angeles College's new $1.3-million women's softball field to watch the opening game against Pasadena City College earlier this month.

Last season, the women's softball team played 19 of its 20 games on the road. “I am very happy that we finally have a place where our [women's] softball team can play our home games," said ELAC President Ernesto Moreno. "To have a field to call our own is going to help out tremendously.”

The Huskies used to play their home games on a simple field. Now, after eight months of construction, the team’s new facility includes: top-of-the-line Musco Sports Lighting for nighttime games; a high-tech announcers booth; two batting cages, including one with electrical power for a pitching machine; two bullpens and dugouts; a wireless scoreboard; a concession stand; a high-tech sound system and storage area

“This new stadium is where Coach [Erika] Blanco and her staff are going to teach the finer points of softball,” said Athletic Director Al Cone. “They’re not only going to teach softball, but life skills. This is an educational institution and not just a field.”

The state-of-the art diamond is complete with the regulation pitcher’s mound and 90-foot base paths. The infields are crushed brick clay, while sod was used for the natural-grass outfield. The diamond was designed to meet the women’s standards of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

And the Huskies got off to a winning start in their new complex, scoring five home victories in a row. The modernization of the facility was funded by the Los Angeles Community College District’s $5.7-billion Sustainable Building Program.

About East Los Angeles College
East Los Angeles College has an international, multicultural student body that serves 14 communities making up its primary service area. The college offers both academic transfer courses that prepare students for admission to four-year colleges and universities and occupational programs that prepare students for careers in two years or less.

The college is located in the suburban community of Monterey Park, California, 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.  Facilities include an instructional center; bookstore; library; 20,000-seat sports stadium; 2,000-seat auditorium; and a 1,500-seat indoor swim stadium. The Associated Students Organization emphasizes social and cultural programs reflecting the varied student body.

About the Los Angeles Community College District
With $5.7-billion in bond funding to modernize its nine colleges, the LACCD's sustainable Building Program is one of the nation's largest green construction efforts.  For more information on the LACCD's sustainable projects and a list of awards the District's building program has received, visit www.LACCDBuildsGreen.org.