Laying the Foundation: Benedetti Diamond
9/30/2015 11:58:00 AM | Baseball, Facilities
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It's officially set in stone. The new Benedetti Diamond had its foundation poured on Wednesday morning. After steady progress over the past few weeks, the new home of USF baseball is starting to take shape.
300 cubic yards of concrete were poured starting at 9 a.m. The task, which literally cemented the floor grade for the structure that will eventually make up the dugout, seating and press box area behind home plate and along the baselines of the ballpark, was expected to take around six hours to complete. 
Prior to pouring the concrete, the U-shaped area had been dug out and covered with a lattice work of rebar and PVC piping.
The next step will be completing the wall forms along the sides of the structure that will provide more of the "skeleton" of the ballpark. That project is scheduled to take a couple of weeks.
Soon after will be the mass excavation of the playing field, which will lower the playing surface by approximately 18 inches.
In other areas of the park, progress is noticeable as well. The towering metal poles that surround the perimeter of the ballpark, which used to serve as both foul poles and as structure to hold up the nets surrounding the field, have been stripped of their yellow coating and repainted dark green. No poles have been relocated at this point. 
Construction of the new Benedetti Diamond started in earnest on Aug. 3. The first phase of the ballpark renovation, which includes the actual playing surface, new outfield wall and netting, installation of field turf, completion of both dugouts and new ticketing and concession structures, is slated to be completed by the holidays.
Hornberger + Worstell, an architectural firm based in San Francisco, produced the Benedetti Diamond master plan. The firm is recognized for its expertise in the master planning and design of destination resorts, urban business and conference hotels, recreation and wellness facilities, academic and residential communities, as well as the rehabilitation and modernization of historic structures.
