Jones AT&T Stadium lights go to Hays Field

Lubbock Christian University's baseball team, which just won the NAIA National Championship, should take part in more night games at Hays Field next season thanks to Texas Tech.

With the east-side expansion project at Jones AT&T Stadium under way, LCU's Hays Field will receive the stadium lights taken down from that side, which immediately will upgrade what the Chaps baseball program normally uses.

"We try to avoid night games; we have had to have some," said Paul Hise, LCU's athletic director. "The lighting that we have is just not adequate, it's pretty dark out there. By eventually getting these lights from Tech, we're gonna be able to have a lot more night games, we hope.

"It's just a nice atmosphere when you go out there and have a night game and hopefully get more crowds and its a little cooler at night, that kind of thing."

A representative from Tech was unavailable for comment.

Hise was not sure, but he estimated that the lights at Hays Field went up some time in the late 1970s, putting them somewhere around the age of 30.

Getting the lights is not free though, he said, with costs of concrete bases, wiring and different electric specifications needed to make the transition.

"There's just some engineering that has to be done for us to make these work for baseball instead of football," he said. "There's quite a bit of work still to be done."

Hise said with Tech getting lighting upgrades of its own, finding a way to easily dispense of the older lights is a valuable commodity in itself.

"You gotta take them down and either throw them away or do something with them," he said. "The advantage to them is just getting them off the property where they can get back to work over there, finish their project."

The lights will compliment another expansion project of the field, which involves replacing the infield AstroTurf with RealGrass, an artificial field turf similar to Tech's playing field at Dan Law Field, and upgrading the dugouts and net system.

Hise said the dugout, field and net renovation will cost about $60,000 to $70,000, while the cost of construction for the lights is still in the works.

In the meantime though, LCU has a national championship to celebrate.

"You gotta have a good team, but you gotta have some breaks too," Hise said. "We just feel pretty fortunate that we were able to get it done. We're just excited for the coaches and the kids and everybody that's involved. It's just a lot of fun."

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