PAGE STADIUM
PAGE STADIUM Entering its 29th season as the home of Lion baseball in 2011, George C. Page Stadium has established itself as a tough place for opponents. Boasting features such as the Mikos Blue Monster, Pride Park and the Lion's Cage down the line in right field, Page Stadium continues to stake its claim as one of college baseball's most unique ballparks. Thanks to a gift from Paul Mikos `66, a wall containing a manual scoreboard was installed in left field in 2001, complete with out of town scores reminiscent of some of Major League Baseball's classic ballparks. The Mikos Blue Monster is a replica to Boston's Fenway Park's Green Monster. The Mikos Blue Monster stands 130-feet wide and 37-feet tall. Within the wall is one of only a handful of manual scoreboards in all of college baseball. The board itself isn't small, standing 18-feet tall and 46-feet wide. Complete with the LMU line score and other score updates, the scoreboard combines some old-time baseball charm with today's modern technology. The scoreboard has electronic balls, strikes and outs lights, along with electronic at-bat and hit/error identification. Every other component is tallied using 2-foot square aluminum scorecards slipped in behind the scoreboard manually. Giving Page Stadium additional character is a five-foot indent connecting the Blue Monster with the existing outfield fencing, similar to the odd outfield shapes of the classic Fenway Park in Boston and Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Lions, who have posted a 453-342-4 (.569) overall record in the park's 28 seasons, have claimed five conference titles while calling Page Stadium home. The first Page Stadium conference title came in 1986, when the Lions posted a 24-8 record at home. The best record came in 1988, when LMU was 30-5 at home (.857). In the years the Lions have won Conference Championships, they are 115-44 at Page (.723). Since going to a Championship Tournament format in 1999, four of the WCC Championships have been played at Page Stadium, with the Lions winning two crowns over Pepperdine. The stadium, built at the site of LMU's old baseball field, was completed at a cost of more than $250,000, with the Incentive Aid Foundation of Los Angeles providing the majority of the funding. Boasting grandstand seating for more than 600 people, the facility features a "VIP" section with 200 theater-type seats. The remaining 400 seats are aluminum with backrests and are located along the first base and third base lines. Field accommodations include spacious field-level dugouts and bullpens, a batting facility featuring multiple batting cages, windscreen around the perimeter of the field and grandstand. A picnic area, located down the first base line, was remodeled following the 2008 season. The backstop has been modified to enhance spectator viewing of the action on the field. The press box, fully equipped to meet the needs of all media, is located behind the "VIP" seating. A convenient concession stand is located near the north entrance of the stadium. In the summer of 2004, LMU constructed Pride Park, the stadium's entrance. The park, resembling a scaled-down baseball infield, recognizes alumni and friends of LMU baseball, and provides fans with a gathering point for athletic events at LMU. LMU baseball's latest project, The Lion's Cage, was completed and opened for use before the start of the 2008 baseball season. The 8,000 square foot training den, which is located down the right field line at Page Stadium, features multiple hitting tunnels, pitching mounds, and a baseball strength/weight room. The cage serves as an all-purpose facility for those associated with LMU baseball.
LMU BASEBALL MEDIA ALMANAC • 133