Fulginiti Indoor

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville women’s softball team was in need of an indoor hitting facility for batting and infield practice. Oates Associates was engaged to determine the feasibility of developing a facility to meet the requirements of the softball team, meet the campus standards and stay within the designated budget.  As a result, a new 12,000 square foot, pre-engineered building was designed and constructed.

Now, the Cougars can prepare on campus and in any weather. The facility features a full infield with bases, three pitching areas and batting cages.  Oates Associates collaborated with the softball team’s head coach to develop a layout for the cages. The final layout consisted of a large netted cage, 80 feet long by 28 feet wide by 14 feet tall, which can be retracted to fully utilize the indoor practice infield. Additionally, the large cage was designed so that it can be divided into 4 smaller hitting cages, giving the team flexibility in their use of the space.  The facility was designed to be multi-functional, and serves as a space for golf clinics as well.

Work also included the construction of an access road, parking lot, and drainage. Oates provided civil and structural engineering services.