Kennedy Center Field Explained

Kennedy Center Field
Location:5800 Ohio River Road
Huntington, West Virginia
Coordinates:38.4515°N -82.3146°W
Owner:YMCA
Operator:YMCA
Surface:AstroTurf
Tenants:Marshall Thundering Herd (NCAA) (2014–2023)
Capacity:525
Dimensions:Left Field: 310 ft
Center Field: 390 ft
Right Field: 310 ft

Kennedy Center Field is a community baseball field at the Kennedy Center YMCA recreation camp on West Virginia Route 2 about 4miles north of Huntington, West Virginia. The field was previously used by the Marshall University baseball team through the 2023 season until the opening of Jack Cook Field. The field had almost no provisions for spectators, and limited locker rooms. In 2014, the university funded an upgrade with some spectator facilities and an artificial turf infield, but the field remains unlighted. The upgrades were accompanied with a five-year lease from the school. Because of its inadequacies, Marshall played all conference home games at GoMart Ballpark in Charleston, 40miles from campus. For the 2019 season, the university funded further upgrades which allowed all its games to be played at the venue.

Because the facility lies outside the city's floodwall and is on the banks of the Ohio River, games are often cancelled or moved to an assortment of alternative fields. In particular, Marshall often played home games at Linda K. Epling Stadium in Beckley, which is 110miles from campus.

The facility is named for Daniel Kennedy of Huntington, WV.

See also