| Bear Stadium | |
| Location: | Bruce Street, Conway, Arkansas, United States |
| Coordinates: | 35.0829°N -92.4604°W |
| Built: | 2009 (rebuilt) |
| Opened: | February 20, 2009 (reopened) |
| Renovated: | 2011 |
| Owner: | University of Central Arkansas |
| Operator: | University of Central Arkansas |
| Surface: | GeoGreen surface |
| Scoreboard: | Electronic |
| Cost: | USD$2 million (estimated) |
| Architect: | Wittenberg, Delony & Davidson |
| General Contractor: | Ross Sparks Builders, Inc. |
| Capacity: | 1,000 |
| Record Attendance: | 732 (April 3, 2009, against Texas State) |
| Tenants: | Central Arkansas Bears baseball |
Bear Stadium is a baseball venue in Conway, Arkansas, United States. It is home to the Central Arkansas Bears college baseball team of the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Sun Conference. Last rebuilt in 2009, the facility has a capacity of 1,000 spectators.[1]
After the Bears' 2007 move to Division I, the UCA baseball facility was rebuilt to be appropriate to the new playing level. In the offseason between 2008 and 2009, the old facility was demolished and construction on the present one began.[2]
The newly constructed ballpark, Bear Stadium, featured 106 chairbacks (part of a 1,000-spectator grandstand), press box, wheelchair elevator, concourse, and backstop. Following the 2010 season, a GeoGreen artificial turf surface was installed and the playing surface was raised.
The stadium's first game was on February 20, 2009, when Central Arkansas defeated Tennessee-Martin 11–5. In 2010, Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Goose Gossage threw out the first pitch before a Bears game against Northwestern State. In 2011, the field hosted the Arkansas high school baseball championships.[3]
The stadium's first game, held on February 20, 2009, attracted 517 spectators. A record 732 people attended the April 3, 2009, game against Texas State, the day of the stadium's official dedication.
Below is a list of Bear Stadium's 10 best-attended games.
| Rank | Date | Opponent | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 3, 2009 | Texas State | 732 | |
| 2 | February 18, 2011 | SIU Edwardsville | 527 | |
| 3 | February 20, 2009 | Tennessee-Martin | 517 | |
| 4 | March 12, 2010 | Stephen F. Austin | 503 | |
| 5 | February 26, 2011 | Eastern Illinois | 484 | |
| 6 | February 20, 2011 | SIU Edwardsville | 475 | |
| 7 | February 19, 2011 | SIU Edwardsville | 447 | |
| 8 | February 20, 2007 | Arkansas State | 432 | |
| 9 | April 9, 2011 | Texas State | 427 | |
| 10 | April 8, 2011 | Texas State | 424 |
As of the 2011 season.