Good Sports: Major upgrades for Fresno Pacific University baseball

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno Pacific shot is ushering successful a caller era.

"I don't cognize of a Division II setup that's amended than ours now," says manager Oscar Hirschkorn.

Thanks successful portion to a $3 cardinal donation from the Dan R. Martin Family Foundation, the Sunbirds are yet putting the finishing touches connected their caller stadium, implicit with a state-of-the-art locker country and clubhouse.

"Absolutely phenomenal," says pitcher Connor Semone.

"Now that we're successful it, it's beauteous bully to beryllium successful present and spot everyone bask it," says 3rd baseman Aaron Martinez Jr.

"I deliberation it motivates america adjacent more," says shortstop Tejean Smith.

Entering his 20th play arsenic the Sunbirds' skipper, Hirschkorn has been astatine the helm since time 1 of the program.

"Didn't deliberation thing similar this was going to hap successful my lifetime, and the information that it has is conscionable an astonishing blessing," helium said. "It's incredible."

"He's seen it through, and he's built this spot from commencement to finish," Semone said.

Twenty years ago, Hirschkorn recruited players without adjacent having a tract to telephone home, forced to play connected a twelve antithetic venues for the archetypal 2 seasons.

"That was 2 years, but it felt similar 10 years," helium said. "That was a travel successful itself."

Over time, Hirschkorn built a winning culture, claiming back-to-back Christian College championships successful 2014 and 2015, paving the mode for a much-deserved upgrade.

"In the beginning, you're successful that dreamer signifier and present seeing it completed, we got truthful overmuch much than I adjacent thought was possible," helium said.

It's a tract that could beryllium bigger than conscionable the existent sunbirds

"I've talked to a fewer antithetic diversion directors astatine precocious schools successful the country of perchance hosting precocious schoolhouse games," says Fresno Pacific Athletic Director Kyle Ferguson. "I'd emotion to spot CIF Championships."

Outside of the brand-new stadium seating and locker room, the Sunbirds besides tapping into caller technology.

"Everything that's offered retired there, we bash for our players," Coach Hirschkorn said.

On either broadside of the dugouts, you'll announcement cameras that seizure each the enactment for fans and players alike.

Behind the backstop is simply a trackman strategy analyzing everything the oculus can't see, from exit velocity to rotation rate.

"We're truthful excited to beryllium capable to springiness our existent players that and successful the recruiting process to beryllium capable to archer players that they volition get amended guaranteed," Hirschkorn said.

As Hirschkorn looks up to the future, he's besides reminded of the archetypal Sunbirds that laid the foundation.

"Those guys were coming to conscionable a dream," helium said. "There was truly thing other and without them and that leap of faith, we wouldn't beryllium present today."

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