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2012 Memphis Spring Sports FedExPark FedExPark Facts Groundbreaking........................ Feb. 18, 2009 Construction Start: ................... Feb. 18, 2009 Seating Capacity: ................................... 2,000 Surface: . ................................... Natural Grass Field Dimensions: Left Field................................318 feet Left-Center.............................360 feet Center Field............................379 feet Right-Center...........................360 feet Right Field..............................317 feet
BASE
FedExPark Firsts First Game: ................Feb. 19, 2010 vs. MTSU First Pitch:.4:06 p.m. (Brennon Martin -Strike) First MEM hit:....... Tyler Huelsing 1B (Feb. 19) First MEM HR:............. Jacob Wilson (Feb. 20) First MEM Win:............ Feb. 20 vs. MTSU (7-6) First Grand Slam:......... Tyler Huelsing (Mar. 7) First Extra Inning:.April 28 vs. ULM (11-10, W) First MEM Lineup:........................................... CF Martinez, SS Zurcher, 2B McClain, 1B Wiedman, C Ablett, 3B Wilson, LF Huelsing, DH Hatfield, RF Thomas, P Martin
Year-by-Year Year Record 2011 21-14 2010 17-10 FedExPark Totals 38-24
Pct. .600 .630 .613
10-20 16-7 15-13 4-20 11-3 12-10 8-3 20-9 11-16 15-13 12-12 16-13 14-13 16-12 20-3 28-7 18-10 22-7 23-11 22-6 16-11 21-8-1 23-5 26-3 15-4 22-4 16-2 32-1 20-4 15-5 29-2 26-5 27-6 23-1 16-8 15-9 12-9 705-319-1
.333 .696 .536 .167 .786 .545 .727 .689 .407 .536 .500 .552 .519 .571 .870 .800 .643 .759 .676 .786 .593. .717 .821 .897 .789 .846 .889 .970 .833 .750 .935 .839 .818 .958 .667 .625 .571 .688
2008 2007 2006 2005: 2004: 2003: 2002: 2001: 2000: 1999: 1998: 1997: 1996: 1995: 1994: 1993: 1992: 1991: 1990: 1989: 1988: 1987: 1986: 1985: 1984: 1983: 1982: 1981: 1980: 1979: 1978: 1977: 1976: 1975: 1974: 1973: 1972: Home Total:
The 2010 season began a new era in the annals of University of Memphis baseball. After calling Nat Buring Stadium home for 36 seasons, construction and renovations were complete for Tigers baseball’s new home– FedExPark. Thanks to a $3 million gift from FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX), construction redesigned the former Nat Buring Stadium that housed Memphis Tiger baseball since 1972. In addition to the new scoreboard that was put in place in January 2008 (seperate from the FedEx gift), the redesign includes a new dressing facility, indoor practice facility, training room, players lounge, locker roms, coaches offices, dugouts, grandstand, concession areas, press box and a private suite which will aid players, teams and fans with their game day experience. The dressing facility includes locker rooms for both Tiger coaches and players, office and meeting space, a player’s lounge, coaches conference room, indoor pitching and batting cages, as well as a direct entrance into the Tiger dugout and field. The grandstand area features an expanded press area for media, as well as newly-constructed restrooms and concession stands. The press box contains private booths for both radio and television broadcasts, as well as working media and event management areas. A grand entrance way has been constructed at the main entrance to the ballpark from the leftfield parking lots. Construction setup began on Feb. 16–two days before 2009 Opening Day. Construction crews took over the Tigers’ home, forcing them to play the 2009 season at three different ballparks in the Memphis area. The Tigers called Millington’s USA Stadium its home for the season, but hosted games at AutoZone Park and Gagliano Stadium. The stadium redesign is the latest of several upgrades to the Memphis baseball facility. On March 27, 1991, the Memphis Athletic Department ushered in a new era–night baseball. The
Tigers hosted Mississippi State University in the program’s first-ever night game. The Tigers played three times under the lights in 1991. While the ballpark’s surroundings were renovated, the playing field remains the same. Noted for its cozy dimensions, it has often proved to be a pitchers’ park when the wind blows in from left field. However, when the wind blows out to left, hitters would think differently. The dimensions down the lines are 318 and 317 feet in left and right fields, respectively, 360 in the alleys and 379 to center. Several renovations have taken place since the stadium opened in 1972. Besides the 1991 addition of lights to the stadium, a new backstop was installed at the beginning of the 1994 season to allow better visibility for the fans. Chairback seats were also installed in the grandstand area for better comfort and enjoyment of Tiger baseball games. During the summer of 1994, the playing surface of the infield was overhauled, giving the stadium one of the best natural grass playing surfaces in the South. In the winter of 1999, new dugouts were constructed. In the spring of 2004, the playing field was leveled out and resurfaced for better playing conditions. A new wall was added to the list of improvements in the winter of 2005. Prior to the 2006 campaign, field turf was installed around the batter’s circle to help maintain the field’s aesthetic in the high-traffic area. FedExPark replaces Nat Buring Stadium, where Memphis compiled a 667-295-1 record in 36 seasons. Following the 1971 season, the Tigers moved to the University’s Park Avenue Campus from Tobey Park, located at the corner of Hollywood and Central. The team also played games at Blues Stadium, which in now known as the former Tim McCarver Stadium.
At The Zone
Nat Buring Stadium Named after Nat Buring, a generous donor to the University of Memphis athletic program and owner of Buring Food Packing, Nat Buring Stadium served as home for Memphis baseball for 36 years. Since its opening on March 14, 1972, the “Nat” provided a fantastic setting for top-notch NCAA Division I baseball. Memphis called Nat Buring Stadium home for the next 36 seasons, racking up over 650 wins and averaging over 18 home wins per season. The Tigers’ most successful string at “The Nat” was from 1975-78. Under former skipper Bobby Kilpatrick, Memphis won over 20 games in each of the four seasons. The first game played at the former Nat Buring Stadium was on March 14, 1972, when the Tigers defeated Mississippi State 11-2 in game one of a doubleheader. Memphis went on to sweep the Bulldogs with a 4-2 victory in the evening game. The Tigers were also victorious in the final game at Nat Buring, outlasting ECU 7-5 on May 17, 2008. Nat Buring Stadium hosted two Missouri Valley Conference Tournaments (1972,
University of Memphis
AutoZone Park Home to the St. Louis Cardinals AAAAffiliate Memphis Redbirds, AutoZone Park combines the feel of such parks as Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, and Camden Yards in a state-of-the-art facility with classic, neotraditional style. Now in the 12th year of a special cooperative between the University of Memphis baseball program and the Memphis Redbirds, the Tigers’ 2012 schedule at AutoZone Park features one game with Ole Miss on April 24. The relationship began on August 20, 2001, when former Tiger head coach Dave Anderson and his squad gathered in front of AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis to reveal what U of M fans had anticipated for weeks. Tiger baseball would begin a relationship with the Memphis Redbirds that would allow the U of M to share the minor league stadium that many have deemed the best ballpark in all of minor league baseball. Accompanied by U of M Athletic Director R.C. Johnson, Redbirds Co-Founder Dean Jernigan and President of the Memphis Redbirds’ Baseball Foundation Rita Sparks, Anderson outlined his AutoZone plans at a late-August press conference. “This is a great day for our baseball program,” Anderson said. “AutoZone Park is one of the finest baseball parks in the country and now we can tell all of our recruits that they will be playing on the same field as the Mark McGwires and Albert Pujols. They’ll be dressing in a state-of-the-art clubhouse and playing in a big-league park.” “This is indeed an important day for our baseball program,” Johnson told reporters. “It is important for us because it demonstrates that our program is headed in the right direction and that the Memphis business community is behind us.”
1973), two Metro Conference Tournaments (1976, 1977) and the Great Midwest Conference Tournament in 1993. Memphis recorded winning records at home in 33 of its 36 seasons at “The Nat”, including posting a program-best 32-1 mark in 1981.
STADIUM FACTS
Year 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 Totals:
Completed: ........................ March 14, 1972 Opening Day:...................... March 14, 1972 . ..... Memphis 11, Mississippi St. 2 First Night Game:................ March 27, 1991 . ....... Mississippi St. 5, Memphis 4 Last Game:..............................May 17, 2008 . ....................... Memphis 7, ECU 5 Games Played at Nat Buring:..................963 Best Season at Nat Buring:.......... 981 (32-1) • 94 All Conference Selections • 62 Tiger Pros played at Nat Buring • 9 Tiger All-Americans
2012
Tigers Spring Sports Fact Book
Record 1-2 1-0 1-4 1-0 3-1 0-2 0-1 2-3 2-4 3-10 1-0 15-27
Pct. .333 1.000 .200 1.000 .750 .000 .000 .400 .333 .231 1.000 .357