New $3M Voll Field Opens in St. Matthews
Writer / Shannon Siders
Photography Provided
Voll Field at Trinity Stadium opened with a bang on March 25 as the Trinity Shamrocks baseball team cruised to an 8-0 victory over Canal Winchester (Ohio) to christen their new home. The stadium came about after years of discussions between the City of St. Matthews, St. Matthews Little League and Trinity High School.
“This field will not only benefit Trinity but is a major addition to the St. Matthews Little League, who will be using the facility more than half of the time,” says Kenan Stratman, Director of Public Works and Assistant City Engineer for the City of St. Matthews.
The $3M project required cooperation between the three entities and included demolition of the former field area. Voll Field at Trinity Stadium features an artificial surface specifically designed for baseball play and a warning track in-fill made of crushed walnut shells.
The handicap accessible stadium, which was named after longtime St. Matthews Little League leader Ray Voll, can accommodate up to 500 fans in bleacher seats with backs. There is also a standing room only mezzanine area, as well as a berm area for lawn chairs along the third base line.
In addition to state-of-the-art LED field lighting, the stadium has an LED scoreboard that will eventually include a video monitor.
Baseball players will enjoy professional-sized dugouts with custom-made bat and helmet storage. Off-field bullpens are connected to each dugout, and batters can take practice swings in the double batting cages, equipped with an artificial surface for increased safety.
Voll Field was designed to reduce flooding and eliminate the need for lots of rainouts, something that has plagued Trinity over the last few seasons at Thurman-Hutchins Field on River Road.
The stadium has a left field line the same length as Louisville Slugger Field, home to Louisville’s minor league baseball team, and is so spacious that three Wee Ball games can take place on the field at once.
Trinity plays their last regular season home game on May 21, so their season has very little overlap with the St. Matthews Little League season. Both organizations will be able to utilize the field to the best of their abilities, and the city plans to host community events at the stadium throughout the year as well.
“The league will now be able to host larger tournaments to not only generate revenue but provide a location for local teams to compete,” Stratman says.
Located in Community Park off of Ten Pin Lane, the stadium is near great restaurants, shopping, hotel and other family-friendly entertainment options. The beautiful park setting offers ample parking, restrooms and concession facilities.
Rick Arnold, a 1986 Trinity grad in his fifth season as head coach for the Shamrocks, is thrilled about what the stadium means for his team moving forward.
“It’s the best feeling ever,” Arnold says. “In terms of an accomplishment from a facilities standpoint, this is a field of dreams, and it’s a true testament to all of our past players, all of our current players, and it will help us in the future. It’s a real dream come true for all of our kids.”
Trinity President Dr. Robert Mullen expressed the same sentiment.
“Trinity is very pleased to have been asked by the St. Matthews Little League to participate, and then to partner, with the City of St. Matthews to build the stadium,” he says. “The new stadium will serve children and youth from the smallest T-ball player to the senior in high school, for decades to come. I have seen the looks on the faces of these players, ages 5-18, when they first enter the stadium. It is one of wonder, excitement and joy. It makes all the effort more than worth it.”
