Harrison-Bruce Foundation Donation to Provide Upgrades to JALC Baseball and Softball Facilities
Published on May 26, 2021
John A. Logan College officials have announced a donation from the Harrison-Bruce Foundation to upgrade the College’s baseball and softball facilities. Trustee Dr. Brent Clark made the announcement at Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Trustees.
According to Clark, the donation will provide turf to the baseball field’s outfield, replace the scoreboard on the softball field, and turf all foul territory on the softball field. In 2017 the Foundation funded a project to turf the baseball infield. Financial details of the donation will be made available at a later date.
Head Baseball Coach Kyle Surprenant is thankful for the Foundation’s generosity and the opportunities that this donation will provide.
“I can’t thank the Harrison Bruce Foundation enough for their generosity. I am blown away by the number of people and organizations that the Foundation has positively impacted. We are honored the Harrison-Bruce Foundation has chosen to fund our project,” said Surprenant. “Our new turf outfield and fence, in addition to the installation of turf to the entire foul territory and a new scoreboard at the softball field, will allow us to give our student-athletes the best experience possible. I am really looking forward to hosting local high school and summer ball tournaments on our upgraded facility.”
Head Softball Coach Taylor Seifert echoed Surprenant’s appreciation.
“We are very thankful for the Harrison Bruce Foundation’s generosity. This donation will provide for much-needed upgrades to our softball facility,” said Seifert. “The upgrades we will be receiving will help with recruiting and field maintenance giving our athletes one of the best fields in the Midwest.”
According to Interim Vice President for Administration Dr. Clay Brewer, the turf field is environmentally friendly and cost-effective while making both fields premier venues in the Midwest.
“In the long run, turf saves money and eliminates the need for chemicals by cutting down the need for field conditioner, grass seed and weed killer, water and sprinkler systems,” said Brewer. “In addition to the cost saves, our fields will be two of the best anywhere, and the upgrades to the softball field will put it in line with some of the top Division 1 programs.”
Brewer added that the facility upgrades would benefit the College and local high school and youth teams.
“With this turf, we will be able to better serve our community by hosting more games, showcases, and camps,” said Brewer. “We can provide a place for high school teams to play and host tournaments when their fields are too wet, and we can also play multiple youth baseball and softball games at one time on the turf.”
The Julia Harrison Bruce Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, is headquartered in Herrin. The Foundation has a long history with the College. In addition to the upgrades to athletic facilities, the Foundation provided significant funding for the College’s Historical Village in 2012.
Both the baseball and softball teams at John A. Logan have been nationally ranked during the season. The Softball team is currently participating in the National Tournament in Yuma, Arizona.
