EOU Ballfields Complex
Location: La Grande, OR
Project Partners
Architect: SAJ Architecture (sub consultant)
Builder: TBD
Eastern Oregon University’s Ballfields Complex in La Grande, OR, was envisioned as a long‑range, phased upgrade that elevates the institution’s baseball and softball facilities to full collegiate competition standards while integrating them into the broader athletics precinct of campus. SZABO Landscape Architecture collaborated closely with the athletics director, coaching staff, and university leadership to translate program goals into a cohesive site plan that consolidates fields, amenities, and circulation around the existing football and track venue on the southeast edge of campus. The result is a framework that improves immediate playability and safety while charting a clear path for future training, support, and spectator facilities.
At the core of the project is the reimagining of the existing softball field and the introduction of a new, full‑scale baseball field as a complementary competition venue. The design organizes these fields adjacent to one another and to the renovated football stadium, creating a true multi‑sport complex with shared infrastructure and a recognizable identity for Mountaineer athletics. Synthetic performance turf is planned for the softball field and, over time, for the entirety of the baseball infield and outfield, improving durability, extending playable seasons, and reducing maintenance demands. Upgraded dugouts, bullpens, batting cages, and field support spaces are arranged to streamline game‑day operations and provide athletes with facilities that reflect collegiate‑level expectations.
Beyond the fields, the plan anticipates the full spectrum of training and event‑day needs. Concept layouts identify sites and footprints for future indoor training buildings that could house batting tunnels, strength and conditioning space, expansive equipment storage, and dedicated locker rooms for men’s and women’s teams, as well as umpires and visiting programs. Elevated press boxes, modern scoreboards, site lighting, and clear branding and signage are incorporated into the vision to support media coverage, night play, and a more professional spectator experience. Circulation, parking, and practice‑field expansion are studied in tandem so that players, coaches, officials, and fans move efficiently through the complex and the new development fits comfortably within the existing campus framework.
Given the university’s budget and funding constraints, SZABO structured the project as a flexible, phase‑ready master plan rather than a single all‑or‑nothing build. Cost opinions were carefully tracked and updated as market conditions shifted, and design packages were broken into clear, biddable scopes so the university can selectively implement portions of the work as funding becomes available while preserving long‑term alignment with the overall vision.
Coordination with the city addressed public improvement requirements and verified how new grading, drainage, and utilities could be woven into the existing systems serving the practice fields and the surrounding campus. This approach allows Eastern Oregon University to pursue incremental upgrades with confidence, knowing each phase contributes meaningfully toward a cohesive, fully realized ballfields complex that supports athletes, enhances recruitment, and strengthens the campus athletics identity.