NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The Niagara University baseball program is readying for opening day at the newly renovated John P. Bobo Field on Saturday, April 7. The Purple Eagles will host Iona for a doubleheader with first pitch at 12:00 p.m.
“We’ve been looking forward to this day for quite some time,” said head coach Rob McCoy. “It signals a new era in Niagara baseball’s rich history; no group deserves it more than the current, former, and future players and coaches associated with this program. This facility will be a tremendous source of pride for all involved for years to come.”
The Niagara University community, including several baseball alumni, will be in attendance to join in celebration for this historic day. The pregame ceremony, which will start at 11:30 a.m., will include a blessing of the field by Niagara University President Emeritus Rev. Joseph J. Levesque, C.M., and Vincentian confreres, a ribbon cutting ceremony, and a performance of the American and Canadian national anthems. There will be a ceremonial first pitch before the Purple Eagles and the Gaels take the field.
“I would like to thank all of those that contributed to this transformational project,” said Niagara University Director of Athletics Simon Gray. “This state-of-the-art facility would not be possible without our incredibly generous donors and across campus collaboration from several different sectors. Not only does John P. Bobo Field serve as the home to our NCAA Division I baseball program, but it will also serve as an ideal venue for the community to experience Niagara University.”
Renovations to Bobo Field began in July 2017 and were finished in the fall. Bobo Field, now one of the premier on-campus facilities in the region, includes a full synthetic turf field, a new scoreboard and dugouts, expanded seating areas, a press box and a new backstop with netting.
“I can’t thank the Board of Trustees, Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., Simon Gray and all the generous donors enough for their unwavering support of Niagara baseball and the Bobo Field project,” McCoy added. “It is tremendously humbling that we get to use this facility to honor a true American hero in Medal of Honor recipient Lt. John P. Bobo.”
