The University of Maine Black Bear Softball Team is bringing home wins in its award-winning, state-of-the-art softball complex, made possible by a historic gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation. The completely renovated and reimagined complex features a new infilled synthetic turf softball field with grandstand seating for 500 spectators. Amenities include an enclosed press box with covered film deck, multiple media towers, new LED stadium lights and scoreboard, and home and visitor brick dugouts with a bullpen on each baseline. A 3,500 square-foot indoor batting pavilion is located on site.
The new Softball Complex is designed to enhance the experience of both spectators and athletes. Fans can enjoy the action from comfortable tiered chairback and bleacher seating. A large press box, located directly behind home plate, plus three additional media towers, give commentators and videographers an excellent vantagepoint for capturing and relaying the action. Thanks to the two-lane indoor Kathryn E. Slott Batting Pavilion, student-athletes can practice their swing no matter what the weather, in a building made possible in part through funding provided by softball fan and UMaine Associate Professor Kathryn Slott.
Completed in conjunction with Activitas and Crawford Architects, UMaine’s Softball Complex offers current and future Black Bear softball players the opportunity to practice and compete in a facility that reflects the excellence of the team. The complex is also made available for use by local youth and high school teams and for hosting state, conference, and regional championships — fulfilling its wider mission of enhancing women’s softball across the region, the state, and NCAA Division I.
The project received a 2024 Silver Award from the American Sports Builder Association (ASBA) in the Outstanding Sports Fields: Single Field Facilities category