“Baseball is still huge in middle Tennessee,” said Dixon Myers in his overview of the Sewanee ballpark’s history and the desperate need for renovation, prompting a charged discussion among Sewanee Civic Association (SCA) members at the March 8 meeting. The array of problems ranges from nonfunctioning restrooms to dugouts with clogged drains and leaking roofs. “The dugouts need new roofs now,” said SCA immediate past president Kiki Beavers, stressing the urgency. “Baseball season begins April 1.”

Myers’ involvement with the University Office of Civic Engagement dates back to 1991. In 2003, he spearheaded renovation of the ballpark. He emphasized the importance of historical perspective when advocating changes. Dating back to the 1940s, the Sewanee ballpark hosted youth leagues. Pete Green, who worked for Physical Plant Services and served as Little League commissioner, oversaw maintenance of the ballpark throughout the 1990s. A shift to interest in soccer and desperate need for refurbishing the ballpark prompted a fundraising campaign that earned $75,000. In the early 2000s, the ballpark gained a full size soccer field, soccer storage building, new restrooms, onsite water and sewage, concession stands, grandstands, and a playground.

“Unfortunately, for the last 15 years there’s been no consistent maintenance,” Myers said.

While community volunteers mow the ballpark, the park’s diverse facilities and uses pose far more maintenance challenges than a simple playground, Myers pointed out. He also cited difficulty stemming from lack of leadership coordinating volunteer efforts and uncertainty about the University’s role.

“More than 100 children played soccer last year,” said Mary Heath, who assists with the youth soccer program. “We need working restrooms,” said Heath. With the soccer restrooms unusable due to vandalism, children urinated and defecated outside the facility at the end of the season when the baseball restrooms were locked.

Ed Hawkins said the Sewanee ballpark was ineligible for state funding because Sewanee was not a municipality, and the Sewanee Business Association had slacked off in its support due to lack of administrative oversight of spending.

Sarah Marhevsky suggested formation of a nonprofit ballpark entity eligible for grant funding.

Myers emphasized the need for collecting data on the number of users and usage trends as well as information about how neighboring municipalities budgeted for and administered ballpark maintenance. He proposed the University could levy a tax on the lease fee designated for ballpark needs and assign someone from Physical Plant Services to oversee maintenance.

The SCA approved a motion by Beavers to allocate $3,000 to refurbish the dugouts.

SCA President Lynn Stubblefield said the University had also committed $3,000 to the project, estimated to cost $6,000 total.

Hawkins proposed a community fund drive for ballpark repair, but SCA Parks Chair Stephen Burnett cautioned the effort might draw funds from the Community Chest, which was still $13,000 short of reaching its goal.

“We need to present the University with a unified long-term plan,” Burnett insisted. A study committee will put out a call for volunteers to serve on a ballpark maintenance committee at a later date. Making “immediate repairs” are Burnett’s first priority.

The SCA spearheaded and funded the recent renovation of Elliott Park in partnership with the University of the South. Through this year’s Community Chest budget, it will sustain 26 community projects and programs. To donate to the Community Chest visit or mail to P.O. Box 99, Sewanee TN 37375.

At the meeting on April 19, the SCA will announce the recipient of the 34th annual Community Service Award.