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On June 4, 1992, Augustana College Baseball received an estate gift from Maurus and Anna Ronken. With this gift, the development of Ronken Field began. Located just west of the Elmen Center, Ronken field is a picturesque setting for college baseball.
Dick Ronken was the head baseball coach at Augustana and was instrumental in the building of the "new" field, which is still in the same location.
After the initial phases of constructing the field, Augustana had an agreement with the City of Sioux Falls for use of the field. Until 2003, the City of Sioux Falls rented the field for game use during the summer. As part of the agreement, several small upgrades to the field were made possible, including the installation of an underground irrigation system.
In 2010, the Augustana baseball program was again the recipient of a significant gift from the Ronken family. Brothers Dick and Robert Ronken, along with their wives, both named Marilyn, gave a financial boost to the renovation of Ronken Field. Dick and Robert are nephews of Maurus and Anna Ronken.
As a result of the Ronkens' generosity, the Augustana baseball program has made several key upgrades to Ronken Field. The pitching mound and home plate areas were completely replaced with Hilltopper clay. Additionally, in 2010 the team completed the construction of a new 7-foot wooden fence in the outfield. The fence is made from Cedartone treated wood, and it took 1,400 planks and many hours of work to complete the structure.
In 2006, Lee "Goldy" Goldammer began to throw batting practice to the Augustana baseball program. In successive years, Goldy began to travel with the team and have a significant presence within the baseball program. As he became more involved with Augustana baseball, he became interested in helping to improve the facilities for student-athletes.
In October of 2011, Goldammer gave an initial gift of family land, which translated into a significant donation to the Augustana baseball program. This gift kicked off a large fundraising campaign known as "Step up to the Plate." The campaign was set up to make improvements to the facility one step at a time.
In March of 2012, Don Karras, an Augustana baseball alumnus, and his family provided a large naming gift for the park that enabled much of the most recent improvements to the facility. The park then became known as Karras Park Home of Ronken Field.
In June of 2012, Augustana submitted a grant proposal to the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, through Major League Baseball. After going through the process, the Baseball Tomorrow Fund awarded Augustana College $84,700 towards the installation of field lighting.
As the projects were completed, Karras Park Home of Ronken Field has become one of the best baseball facilities in all of Division II. The field now features a turf infield, grandstand with chairback seats, bleachers and a state-of-the-art press box and luxury suite.
Through generous gifts of of over 30 individuals, the press box was named the "Larry Borgum Press Box" in honor of the late Larry Borgum, who served in many capacities at Augustana, including athletic services and sports information director, athletic business and financial aid officer.
| BILL HALL BASEBALL & SOFTBALL COMPLEX |
The Bill Hall Football Complex at 37th Street and Lake Avenue underwent extensive renovation in 2007 and is now the Bill Hall Baseball & Softball Complex. The $40,000 project included gutting the interior and installing the Jerstad/Kessinger Batting Cages, areas for pitching and fielding and a clubhouse for players. The facility was dedicated April 5, 2008, with special tributes to Ken Kessinger, head baseball coach for 20 years, and Sandy Jerstad, who won more than1,000 games as the head softball coach. She also led the Vikings to the 1991 national title and a runner-up finish in 1993.
Sanford FIELDHOUSE
The Sanford FIELDHOUSE is one of the latest amenities available to Augustana student-athletes. Viking athletic teams will use the Sanford Fieldhouse for various team workouts throughout the school year.
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The Sanford FIELDHOUSE is the premier indoor sports facility for local, regional and national athletic training, soccer, baseball, softball, football, co-ed sports leagues and POWER fitness programs. Athletes enjoy 62,000 square feet of professional grade Field Turf®, state-of-the-art training facilities, full amenity locker rooms – all designed to make sports an integral part of staying healthy.
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Augustana baseball at Sanford Fieldhouse
Sanford FIELDHOUSE is also home to Sanford POWER Athletic Enhancement Program, Sanford Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation, Sanford Sports Medicine Outreach (Athletic Training Program) and the future home of the National Institute for Athletic Health & Performance.
