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John W. Smithson '68 Field The Home of Saint Joseph's Baseball

In 2012, Saint Joseph's brought its baseball program back to campus for the first time in over 50 years. After a nomadic half century that saw the Hawks play their homes games at seven different sites, John W. Smithson Field opened with a 5-1 Saint Joseph's victory over Iona on March 9, 2012.

One of the premier collegiate baseball facilities in the Northeast, Smithson Field features a synthetic playing surface with a dirt pitching mound. The surface, AstroTurf 3D GameDay Grass, is the industry standard for baseball and is in use at Major League stadiums such as Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida, and the Toronto Blue Jays' Rogers Centre in Ontario.

Smithson Field measures 327 feet down the left field line, 330 feet to right, and 400 feet to straightaway center field.

In addition to the field, the facility includes batting cages and a clubhouse located right next to the Hawks' home turf. Elevated bullpens are located in right field, with phones inside to allow for communication with the respective team dugouts on the first and third base lines.

The Hawks enjoy the use of a new clubhouse, as well as batting cages located just steps away from Smithson Field.
"The ballpark has a lot of character and charm. It is a great place for our players to play and for our fans to watch a ballgame." – Saint Joseph's baseball head coach Fritz Hamburg

Bleacher seating for 400 is located behind home plate, but fans can take in a game from anywhere in the ballpark, as there is ample space for spectators down each of the lines and beyond the outfield fence. A press box located at the top of the bleachers behind home plate allows for live audio broadcasts of every Hawk home game, and video broadcasts of selected matchups.

The Hawks have posted a .539 winning percentage at Smithson Field.

Smithson Field is named after Saint Joseph's Baseball Hall of Famer and former interim university president John W. Smithson '68. A former chairman of the Board of Trustees, Smithson ranks in the top 10 in program history in career earned run average, and received the inaugural Harry Booth '62 Award for dedication to the program in 2010.

Smithson Field namesake John Smithson '68 threw out the first pitch on Opening Day, March 9, 2012.