Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
Encyclopedia
Jack Russell Memorial Stadium is a stadium
in Clearwater, Florida
. It opened as Jack Russell Stadium in 1955. It had a capacity of 4,744 when it opened; in 2003 seating capacity
was 6,942 people. It was the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies
MLB
team from 1955 through 2003.
The Clearwater Bombers, a softball team that won 10 National Amateur Softball Association
titles between 1950 to 1973, played their home games there from 1955 through 1984. The name of the stadium was changed to Jack Russell Memorial Stadium following Jack Russell's death in November 1990.
In 2004, the Philadelphia Phillies moved to Bright House Networks Field
, 4 miles to the east. Most of the ballpark was demolished on July 21, 2007. The dugouts, offices, and other elements were retained as the field continues to be used today for amateur instruction and tournaments. The field is now leased from the City of Clearwater by The Winning Inning. In 2007, the Winning Inning pays for stadium rent, utilities, and a full-time groundskeeper. The Winning Inning is responsible for maintenance of the grounds, and the City of Clearwater for plumbing and electrical repairs.
. Russell settled in Clearwater after his career where he became a Union Oil Co.
distributor and Clearwater Chamber of Commerce president. The Phillies moved their training to Clearwater for the 1947 season and played at Clearwater Athletic Field
. Russell became a Clearwater city commissioner, a position he held from 1951 to 1955, and was a vocal advocate for a new ballpark for Clearwater. In 1954, the Clearwater city council approved the building of the park which would serve as the spring home of the Phillies. In 1955, Clearwater Mayor Herbert M. Browns surprised Russell when he announced that the stadium would be named in his honor.
The stadium was dedicated on March 10, 1955. Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick
, National League
president Warren Giles
, American League
president Will Harridge
, Clearwater mayor Herbert M. Brown, and other city dignitaries were in attendance. The Phillies played their first game at the stadium on the day of the dedication. Robin Roberts started for the Phillies against the Detroit Tigers
. The Phillies won 4-2 on a two-run double by Willie Jones
before 4,209 attendees. Roberts returned to the ballpark and threw out the ceremonial first-pitch for the Phillies' final spring training game there in 2003.
The City of Clearwater added additional seating during the 1989-1990 off-season raising capacity from 5,300 to close to 7,000.
The Tokyo Giants
trained with the Los Angeles Dodgers
in Vero Beach
in 1971. The Phillies played the Giants at Jack Russell on March 15, 1971.
In its final spring training in 2003, parking cost $3 and game tickets cost $8, $6, and $5.
The Florida Winter Instructional Rookie League played in October and November. The Baltimore Orioles
team played their home games at Jack Russell in 1959 and the Kansas City A's
played at the ballpark in 1960. The Orioles and Yankees
shared the ballpark in 1970 and 1971.
as early as 1981 about locating a Phillies minor league affiliate at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater. In July 1982, in a visit to Philadelphia, Clearwater city officials and the president of the Florida State League
again asked the Philadelphia Phillies about affiliating with a team to be based in Clearwater. The Amateur Softball Association
Clearwater Bombers had long used Jack Russell Stadium during the summer months when the field would be reconfigured for softball. The placement of a minor league baseball team would mean the relocation of the Bombers. The Florida State League granted the city of Clearwater a franchise on September 26, 1984, generating protests from the Bombers and their local supporters. A new home was built for the Bombers adjacent to the Phillies' Carpenter Complex.
In 1985, for the Clearwater Phillies' first-season in the Florida State League, a new home clubhouse and additional seating were added to the ballpark. The Clearwater Phillies played their first game against the Tampa Tarpons
at home on April 12, 1985.
On August 23, 1992, the Clearwater Phillies defeated the Winter Haven Red Sox
1-0 in the first double no-hitter
in 40 years. Andy Carter pitched for Clearwater and Scott Bakkum pitched for Winter Haven. The Phillies won on two walked batters and two sacrifice bunts in the seventh inning. In a spring training game on April 2, 1993, Frank Viola
and Cory Bailey
combined on a no-hitter as the Red Sox
defeated the Phillies 10-0 at Jack Russell.
The Clearwater Phillies played their last game at Jack Russell on Saturday night, August 23, 2003. The attendance of 6,472 was the second-largest crowd ever to watch the Clearwater Phillies at the ballpark. Robin Roberts threw out the first-pitch of the game and Clearwater lost 6-2 to the Sarasota Red Sox.
Wilbur Snapp served as Stadium organist from 1982 through 1996. Snapp had run a music store in Springfield, Ohio
and retired to Clearwater in 1982. He played organ for both spring training and Florida State League games. Snapp received national attention following his ejection from an FSL ballgame in 1985. On June 25, 1985 during a Clearwater Phillies game against the Osceola Astros
, an umpire called a close-out against Clearwater. Snapp agreed with the boos of the crowd and began playing “Three Blind Mice
.” The umpire ejected Snapp, the first time an organist was ejected by an umpire during a game. Willard Scott
mentioned it on NBC's Today show, and Paul Harvey
talked about it on his syndicated radio program. Clearwater replaced Snapp with recorded music in 1997 but it was reported that Snapp continued to attend home games at the Stadium. After the ejection, Snapp would sign autographs "Wilbur Snapp, Three Blind Mice organist."
of 6,500 for concerts.
The Rolling Stones played Jack Russell Stadium on May 6, 1965 during their 22-show 3rd American Tour
. That night, Keith Richards
found the guitar riff for (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
in his sleep, when he briefly woke up in his room at the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, recorded the riff and the phrase "I can't get no satisfaction", and went back to sleep.
The pop-band 'N Sync
was from Orlando, Florida
and played a concert at Jack Russell in 1996.
On January 14, 2000, Tampa
's Michael "Gold" Rush claimed the vacant National Boxing Association's cruiserweight belt with a technical knockout of Pedro Riveron at 1 minute, 34 seconds into the seventh round in front of 1,500 spectators.
and college
baseball games and tournaments, and other amateur baseball games have been held at the stadium, along with other events. Clearwater High School
plays its home baseball games at the field.
The Winning Inning and the City of Clearwater hosted the Clearwater College Invitational in March 2008 at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium. Two of the twelve participating institutions included NCCAA
Division II National Champions Southeastern University
and NAIA
Region III Champions Northwestern College
.
The St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission hosted the inaugural Big East/Big Ten Baseball Challenge in February 2009. The Challenge featured all ten Big Ten baseball teams and eight of the Big East teams. Jack Russell Stadium was one of five local ballparks hosting Challenge games. Jack Russell hosted nine games over the weekend of February 20-22, 2009.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
. It opened as Jack Russell Stadium in 1955. It had a capacity of 4,744 when it opened; in 2003 seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
was 6,942 people. It was the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team from 1955 through 2003.
The Clearwater Bombers, a softball team that won 10 National Amateur Softball Association
Amateur Softball Association
The Amateur Softball Association is a volunteer, non-profit organization based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1933 with a tournament held in Chicago that was organized by Leo Fischer and Michael J. Pauley. The following year the 1934 National Recreation Congress recognized the ASA. ...
titles between 1950 to 1973, played their home games there from 1955 through 1984. The name of the stadium was changed to Jack Russell Memorial Stadium following Jack Russell's death in November 1990.
In 2004, the Philadelphia Phillies moved to Bright House Networks Field
Bright House Networks Field
Bright House Field is a baseball stadium located in Clearwater, Florida, in the United States. The stadium was built in 2004 and has a maximum seating capacity of 8,500 people .The ballpark is the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies, and their Class A affiliate,...
, 4 miles to the east. Most of the ballpark was demolished on July 21, 2007. The dugouts, offices, and other elements were retained as the field continues to be used today for amateur instruction and tournaments. The field is now leased from the City of Clearwater by The Winning Inning. In 2007, the Winning Inning pays for stadium rent, utilities, and a full-time groundskeeper. The Winning Inning is responsible for maintenance of the grounds, and the City of Clearwater for plumbing and electrical repairs.
Name
Jack Russell played in the Major Leagues from 1926 through 1940. He was introduced to Pinellas County while training in the area as a member of the Cleveland American League clubCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. Russell settled in Clearwater after his career where he became a Union Oil Co.
Unocal Corporation
Union Oil Company of California, dba Unocal is a defunct company that was a major petroleum explorer and marketer in the late 19th century, through the 20th century, and into the early 21st century. It was headquartered in El Segundo, California, United States.On August 10, 2005, Unocal merged...
distributor and Clearwater Chamber of Commerce president. The Phillies moved their training to Clearwater for the 1947 season and played at Clearwater Athletic Field
Clearwater Athletic Field
Clearwater Athletic Field was a stadium in Clearwater, Florida. It was first used by professional baseball teams for spring training in 1923. The grandstand sat approximately 2,000 and bleachers increased capacity to close to 3,000. Home plate was located on Pennsylvania Avenue, which ran south to...
. Russell became a Clearwater city commissioner, a position he held from 1951 to 1955, and was a vocal advocate for a new ballpark for Clearwater. In 1954, the Clearwater city council approved the building of the park which would serve as the spring home of the Phillies. In 1955, Clearwater Mayor Herbert M. Browns surprised Russell when he announced that the stadium would be named in his honor.
History
Jack Russell was instrumental in the conception of the ballpark. Russell had the blueprints and plans drawn up himself in 1954 and then approached the Clearwater mayor and city commission with the plans in July 1954. The mayor and commissioners approved of the idea and then Russell obtained legal rights from the Florida state supreme court in Tallahassee to raise the money to build the stadium through revenue bonds. Work began in fall 1954.The stadium was dedicated on March 10, 1955. Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick
Ford Frick
Ford Christopher Frick was an American sportswriter and executive who served as president of the National League from to and as the third Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1951 to . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970...
, National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
president Warren Giles
Warren Giles
Warren Crandall Giles was a National League executive in Major League Baseball.-Baseball:Giles was elected president of the Moline, Illinois baseball club in the Three-I League in 1919 and began a 50-year career in baseball that saw him rise all the way to the presidency of the National League...
, American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
president Will Harridge
Will Harridge
William Harridge was an American executive in professional baseball whose most significant role was as president of the American League from 1931 to 1958...
, Clearwater mayor Herbert M. Brown, and other city dignitaries were in attendance. The Phillies played their first game at the stadium on the day of the dedication. Robin Roberts started for the Phillies against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. The Phillies won 4-2 on a two-run double by Willie Jones
Willie Jones (baseball)
Willie Edward Jones , nicknamed "Puddin' Head", was a Major League Baseball third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Phillies , Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds...
before 4,209 attendees. Roberts returned to the ballpark and threw out the ceremonial first-pitch for the Phillies' final spring training game there in 2003.
The City of Clearwater added additional seating during the 1989-1990 off-season raising capacity from 5,300 to close to 7,000.
The Tokyo Giants
Yomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
trained with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in Vero Beach
Holman Stadium (Vero Beach)
Holman Stadium is a baseball stadium in Vero Beach, Florida, built in 1953 to accommodate spring training for the Dodgers as part of a complex called Dodgertown. In addition to the Dodgers' spring games, it was also the home of the Vero Beach Devil Rays of the Florida State League, through the...
in 1971. The Phillies played the Giants at Jack Russell on March 15, 1971.
In its final spring training in 2003, parking cost $3 and game tickets cost $8, $6, and $5.
The Florida Winter Instructional Rookie League played in October and November. The Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
team played their home games at Jack Russell in 1959 and the Kansas City A's
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
played at the ballpark in 1960. The Orioles and Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
shared the ballpark in 1970 and 1971.
Clearwater Phillies
Clearwater city officials approached the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
as early as 1981 about locating a Phillies minor league affiliate at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater. In July 1982, in a visit to Philadelphia, Clearwater city officials and the president of the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
again asked the Philadelphia Phillies about affiliating with a team to be based in Clearwater. The Amateur Softball Association
Amateur Softball Association
The Amateur Softball Association is a volunteer, non-profit organization based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1933 with a tournament held in Chicago that was organized by Leo Fischer and Michael J. Pauley. The following year the 1934 National Recreation Congress recognized the ASA. ...
Clearwater Bombers had long used Jack Russell Stadium during the summer months when the field would be reconfigured for softball. The placement of a minor league baseball team would mean the relocation of the Bombers. The Florida State League granted the city of Clearwater a franchise on September 26, 1984, generating protests from the Bombers and their local supporters. A new home was built for the Bombers adjacent to the Phillies' Carpenter Complex.
In 1985, for the Clearwater Phillies' first-season in the Florida State League, a new home clubhouse and additional seating were added to the ballpark. The Clearwater Phillies played their first game against the Tampa Tarpons
Tampa Tarpons
The Tampa Tarpons were a minor league baseball team based in Tampa, Florida. They played in the Class A Florida State League from 1957–1988, when they were sold, relocated, and renamed the Sarasota White Sox...
at home on April 12, 1985.
On August 23, 1992, the Clearwater Phillies defeated the Winter Haven Red Sox
Winter Haven Red Sox
The Winter Haven Red Sox is a former minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Boston Red Sox from 1969 to 1992.*Location: Winter Haven, FL*League: Florida State League *Affiliation: Boston Red Sox...
1-0 in the first double no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
in 40 years. Andy Carter pitched for Clearwater and Scott Bakkum pitched for Winter Haven. The Phillies won on two walked batters and two sacrifice bunts in the seventh inning. In a spring training game on April 2, 1993, Frank Viola
Frank Viola
Frank John Viola, Jr. is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins , New York Mets , Boston Red Sox , Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays . A three-time All-Star, he was named World Series MVP with the Twins in 1987 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 1988...
and Cory Bailey
Cory Bailey
Phillip Cory Bailey is a former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball between and . He batted and threw right-handed....
combined on a no-hitter as the Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
defeated the Phillies 10-0 at Jack Russell.
The Clearwater Phillies played their last game at Jack Russell on Saturday night, August 23, 2003. The attendance of 6,472 was the second-largest crowd ever to watch the Clearwater Phillies at the ballpark. Robin Roberts threw out the first-pitch of the game and Clearwater lost 6-2 to the Sarasota Red Sox.
Wilbur Snapp served as Stadium organist from 1982 through 1996. Snapp had run a music store in Springfield, Ohio
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
and retired to Clearwater in 1982. He played organ for both spring training and Florida State League games. Snapp received national attention following his ejection from an FSL ballgame in 1985. On June 25, 1985 during a Clearwater Phillies game against the Osceola Astros
Osceola Astros
The Osceola Astros were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1985 to 1994. They played in the Florida State League and were affiliated with the Houston Astros. They were based in Kissimmee, Florida, making them the first professional baseball team from Kissimmee...
, an umpire called a close-out against Clearwater. Snapp agreed with the boos of the crowd and began playing “Three Blind Mice
Three Blind Mice
Three Blind Mice is an English nursery rhyme and musical round. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3753.-Lyrics:The modern words are:-Variations and uses:Amateur music composer Thomas Oliphant noted in 1843 that:...
.” The umpire ejected Snapp, the first time an organist was ejected by an umpire during a game. Willard Scott
Willard Scott
Willard Herman Scott, Jr. is an American media personality and author best known for his television work on NBC's The Today Show and as the creator of the Ronald McDonald character.-Early years:...
mentioned it on NBC's Today show, and Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey Aurandt , better known as Paul Harvey, was an American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio Networks. He broadcast News and Comment on weekday mornings and mid-days, and at noon on Saturdays, as well as his famous The Rest of the Story segments. His listening audience was estimated, at...
talked about it on his syndicated radio program. Clearwater replaced Snapp with recorded music in 1997 but it was reported that Snapp continued to attend home games at the Stadium. After the ejection, Snapp would sign autographs "Wilbur Snapp, Three Blind Mice organist."
Non-baseball uses
The ballpark was listed in 1957 as having a seating capacitySeating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 6,500 for concerts.
The Rolling Stones played Jack Russell Stadium on May 6, 1965 during their 22-show 3rd American Tour
The Rolling Stones 1st American Tour 1965
The Rolling Stones' 1965 1st American Tour was a concert tour by the band. The tour commenced on April 23 and concluded on May 29, 1965. On this tour, the band supported their album The Rolling Stones, Now!.-Tour band:*Mick Jagger - lead vocals, harmonica...
. That night, Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
found the guitar riff for (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
" Satisfaction" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in 1965. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Richards's throwaway three-note guitar riff — intended to be replaced by horns — opens and drives the song...
in his sleep, when he briefly woke up in his room at the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, recorded the riff and the phrase "I can't get no satisfaction", and went back to sleep.
The pop-band 'N Sync
'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
was from Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
and played a concert at Jack Russell in 1996.
On January 14, 2000, Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
's Michael "Gold" Rush claimed the vacant National Boxing Association's cruiserweight belt with a technical knockout of Pedro Riveron at 1 minute, 34 seconds into the seventh round in front of 1,500 spectators.
Current use
The Clearwater City Council voted on June 7, 2007 to partially raze the stadium. That summer, JVS Contracting Inc. of Tampa demolished much of the stadium for $104,280. The field, dugouts, bleachers, batting cages and the two-story office in the right field corner remain from the original structure. High schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
baseball games and tournaments, and other amateur baseball games have been held at the stadium, along with other events. Clearwater High School
Clearwater High School
Clearwater High School is a public high school located in Clearwater, Florida. It is a member of the Pinellas County School System. The school's nickname is the Tornadoes. Their colors are Crimson and Gray which is also the name of their fight song. The school is known for great athletic teams in...
plays its home baseball games at the field.
The Winning Inning and the City of Clearwater hosted the Clearwater College Invitational in March 2008 at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium. Two of the twelve participating institutions included NCCAA
National Christian College Athletic Association
The National Christian College Athletic Association is an association of approximately 100 Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada which see collegiate sports primarily as an opportunity for Christian fellowship and ministry. The national headquarters...
Division II National Champions Southeastern University
Southeastern University of the Assemblies of God
Southeastern University is a private Christian liberal arts university located in Lakeland, Florida, USA. It was established in 1935 in New Brockton, Alabama as a Bible college, relocated to Lakeland in 1946, and became a liberal arts college in 1970. The school has four colleges and is the largest...
and NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
Region III Champions Northwestern College
Northwestern College (Iowa)
Northwestern College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Orange City, Iowa. It is also known as Northwestern IA. It is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America . Northwestern began as an academy in 1882. It was then upgraded to junior college status in 1928...
.
The St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission hosted the inaugural Big East/Big Ten Baseball Challenge in February 2009. The Challenge featured all ten Big Ten baseball teams and eight of the Big East teams. Jack Russell Stadium was one of five local ballparks hosting Challenge games. Jack Russell hosted nine games over the weekend of February 20-22, 2009.