Limestone University Softball Alums Get First Look At Plans To Bring Jimmy Martin Field To Campus

During a softball alumni event on Sunday, June 26, an architectural rendering of the new Limestone University softball complex was publicly revealed for the first time.

As part of the alumni event on Sunday at Fleur Field in Greenville, it was announced that the new home of Limestone softball will be named Jimmy Martin Field in honor of the legendary Saints coach. Martin, who helped take Limestone softball to unprecedented heights as part of a 23-year head coaching career that made him the program's all-time winningest coach, retired from the diamond in 2013.

Named the fifth head coach in program history in 1990, Martin posted a career record of 614-605-3, won two NAIA District 6 championships, captured five conference championships, earned three national rankings, and won three Coach of the Year awards.

Jimmy Martin Field will be placed at a grass area located adjacent to the Timken Center on campus.

The Timken Center hosts home games and matches for Limestone basketball, volleyball, wrestling, and acrobatics & tumbling. It also contains practice space for Saints cheerleading and dance team as well as academic programs in physical education, and recreation facilities.

There are also plans to renovate the Timken Center and expand locker room space. Along with that future construction will be an architectural facelift to the exterior of the Timken Center.

The addition of a softball complex and the renovation of the Timken Center are being designed to accommodate physical education activities, intramural events, marching band practices, and other indoor and outdoor pursuits for the student body.

Fundraising for the new and improved facilities is now underway, with campaign goals set for each element of the plan. Donations to the project can be made online by visiting HERE. 

Limestone’s softball team last played on campus in 2014. The former softball field, situated next to the Saints’ baseball stadium, was removed as part Limestone’s plan to develop a new welcome center for its outdoor athletic facilities. That project led to the construction of Shannon Hamrick Park and the new amenities that came with the creation of the Bob Prevatte Athletic Complex. Since then, the University’s softball team has played its home games at Babe Ruth Field located on Twin Lakes Road in Gaffney.

Limestone softball, under the direction of head coach Amy Yates, is expected to open its 2023 season on campus at Jimmy Martin Field.

Accompanying photo: Former Limestone head coach Jimmy Martin (far left) poses with several Saints softball alums, along with current head coach Amy Yates (back row, fourth from left), earlier this week as an architectural rendering was unveiled for the new on-campus softball facility that will be named Jimmy Martin Field.