Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park Explained

Stadium Name:Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park
Nickname:The Joe
Location:360 Fishburne Street
Charleston, SC 29403
Coordinates:32.7903°N -79.9611°W
Broke Ground:June 7, 1996[1]
Opened:April 6, 1997[2]
Owner:City of Charleston
Operator:City of Charleston/
Charleston Baseball, Inc.
Surface:Bermuda Grass
Construction Cost:US$19.5 million
($ in dollars)
Architect:Populous
Goff D'Antonio Associates
Structural Engineer:Kerr, Conrad & Graham
Services Engineer:Bredson & Associates, Inc.[3]
General Contractor:McDevitt Street Bovis[4]
Tenants:Charleston RiverDogs (SAL/Low-A East/Carolina League) (1997–present)
The Citadel Bulldogs baseball
Seating Capacity:6,000
Dimensions:Left Field: 305feet
Left Center: 356feet
Center Field: 398feet
Right Center: 366feet
Right Field: 337feet

Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park is a baseball stadium located in Charleston, South Carolina.[5] [6] The stadium is named after Charleston's longest-serving mayor, Joseph P. Riley Jr., who was instrumental in its construction. The stadium replaced College Park. It was built in 1997 and seats 6,000 people.

Nicknamed "The Joe" by locals, Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Charleston RiverDogs baseball team of the Carolina League and The Citadel Bulldogs baseball team, whose campus is located nearby.

History

The park has hosted 15 Southern Conference baseball tournaments through the 2014 season. On March 2, 2012, the venue hosted the neutral-site game of the Clemson - South Carolina baseball series. The game, which South Carolina won 3–2 in 11 innings, was attended by 5,851 spectators.[7] The Citadel defeated the Gamecocks 10–8 on April 16, 2014 before 6,500 fans, setting a new record for a college baseball crowd in Charleston.[8]

The Citadel holds lifetime playing rights at the ballpark and has its own clubhouse in the stadium. The land that the stadium is built on once belonged to the school, and was a part of the land-swap negotiations that resulted in the City of Charleston taking over the land and giving The Citadel title to College Park.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Riley's Vision of a Ballpark Slowly Rises. Ken. Burger. The Post and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. June 8, 1996. March 3, 2012. dead. https://archive.today/20120710151902/http://archives.postandcourier.com/archive/arch96/0696/arc0608131431.shtml. July 10, 2012.
  2. News: New Baseball Park a Recruiting Magnet. Andrew. Miller. The Post and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. April 6, 1997. August 19, 2011.
  3. Web site: Pro Baseball Sports Facilities. Bredson & Associates, Inc.. August 8, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20020410063926/http://www.bredson.com/page19.html. April 10, 2002.
  4. News: Ballpark Figures Rise in Minors. The State. Columbia, South Carolina. July 7, 1997. November 8, 2011.
  5. Web site: Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park . rileyparkevents.com.
  6. Web site: Joe Riley Ball Park Charleston, SC - Official Website . www.charleston-sc.gov . Charleston, SC . 8 November 2022.
  7. Web site: #2 Gamecocks Edge #15 Clemson 3-2 in 11 Innings Friday . Clemson Athletics . March 2, 2012 . March 4, 2012 . https://archive.today/20120304164019/http://www.clemsontigers.com/sports/m-basebl/recaps/030212aab.html . 2012-03-04 . ... in front of 5,851 fans at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park on Friday night. . dead .
  8. News: Citadel baseball hands No. 11 South Carolina fourth straight loss before record crowd. Post and Courier. April 16, 2014. Jeff Hartsell. Charleston, South Carolina. June 30, 2014.