Benedetti Diamond

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Benedetti Diamond Facts

THE NEW BENEDETTI DIAMOND
The home of Dons baseball underwent a major $6 million renovation following the 2015 season, resulting in a brand new ballpark on the same site as the original field. The renovated ballpark gives USF one of the elite collegiate baseball facilities on the West Coast, offering a truly unique playing and viewing experience. The field features an AstroTurf Diamond Series 3D synthetic turf playing surface and a health- and eco-conscious Greenplay organic infill made of a mixture of sand, ground cork and coconut husks, and other natural fibers that is 100% recyclable material. Benedetti Diamond is the first NCAA Division I baseball facility to feature the Greenplay organic infill. 

Spectators at Benedetti Diamond enjoy a wrap-around spectator deck along the baselines and behind home plate providing sightlines to the entire field, 150 reserved chairback seats, along with four reserved high top tables directly behind home plate and grass berm general admission seating areas down both the first and third base lines. The field itself was lowered 18 inches during the renovation, further enhancing the viewing experience. 

The entire field was reoriented 90 degrees from its original position so that home plate currently sits where left field was previously. 

The facility also features a spacious field-level press box located below the spectator deck, a VIP viewing area adjacent to the visitor's dugout and, in the tunnel below the spectator deck, the Alumni Dugout - recognizing various donors who helped bring the project to fruition - and the Dons baseball honored numbers prominently displayed.  

Construction of Benedetti Diamond was completed by Hornberger + Worstell, an architectural firm based in San Francisco. 
 

BENEDETTI DIAMOND HISTORY
The Dons' home field is named after Dante Benedetti, USF's head coach from 1962 to 1980. Benedetti attended then-Saint Ignatius College from 1937 to 1940, during which he lettered in baseball, football, and boxing. During his tenure as head coach, he accumulated 373 career wins, and has been inducted into the university's athletic hall of fame. Also during his tenure as head coach, the university wanted to cut the program for financial reasons. However, to keep the program alive, Benedetti agreed to lower his salary. For the remaining 16 years of his coaching career he was paid $1 a year. 

Built in 1953, the venue was originally called simply Max Ulrich Field. After its 1953 construction, it was named after Max Ulrich, a San Francisco resident who donated in his will $358,000 to the university. The field took on its current name in 1980 when the diamond was dedicated to Benedetti, who retired at the end of the 1980 season after 29 years at the helm. Until Nino Giarratano surpassed him in 2012, Benedetti was the program's all-time winningest coach with 373 wins.

Benedetti passed away in November of 2005, but his legacy lives on in the home of the Dons baseball program for which he played such a pivotal role in laying the foundation. 

OPENING DAY
April 13, 2016  
Result: New Mexico 12, USF 3
Attendance: 358
Length of Game: 3:15
Box Score [PDF]

NOTABLE FIRSTS AT THE NEW BENEDETTI DIAMOND
1st Hit - Luis Gonzalez (New Mexico), 1st inning, Apr. 13, 2016
1st HR - Luis Gonzalez (New Mexico), 1st inning, Apr. 13, 2016
1st USF Hit - Matt Sinatro, 1st inning, vs. New Mexico, Apr. 13, 2016
1st USF HR - Brady Bate, 3rd inning, vs. Gonzaga, Apr. 17, 2016
1st USF Run - Allen Smoot, 4th inning, vs. New Mexico, Apr. 13, 2016
1st Strikeout - Dalton Bowers (New Mexico), 1st inning by Grant Goodman, Apr. 13, 2016
1st Pitch - by Grant Goodman (3:05 p.m., strike), vs. New Mexico, Apr. 13, 2016
1st Stolen Base - Andre Vigil (New Mexico), 4th inning, Apr. 13, 2016
1st USF Stolen Base - Matt Sinatro, 5th inning, vs. New Mexico, Apr. 13, 2016
1st USF Win - 9-1 over Gonzaga, Apr. 15, 2016; Winning Pitcher: Anthony Shew
1st Save - Wyatt Mills, Gonzaga, Apr. 16, 2016
1st USF Save - Joey Carney, vs. Gonzaga, Apr. 17, 2016 
1st Complete Game - James Kannenberg, vs. San Diego, Apr. 24, 2016

BENEDETTI DIAMOND SUPERLATIVES (as of end of 2016 season)
Highest Attendance - 551, vs. BYU - May 14, 2016
Longest Game (by time) - 3:51, vs. Gonzaga, Apr. 16, 2016
Shortest Game - 2:42, vs. San Jose State, Apr. 19, 2016
Longest Game (by innings) - 9, numerous 

	USF (Team)	USF (Individual)	Opponent (Team)	Opponent (Individual)	Combined
Most Runs Scored in a Game	13; vs. San Diego, Apr. 22, 2016	3; Matt Sinatro, vs. BYU, May 13, 2016	12; New Mexico, Apr. 13, 2016   BYU, May 13, 2016	4; Brennon Anderson, BYU, May 13, 2016	18; BYU 12, USF 6, May 13, 2016
Most Hits in a Game	13; vs. San Diego, Apr. 22, 2016	3; 5 times   First: Ross Puskarich, vs. New Mexico, Apr. 13, 2016	17; Gonzaga, Apr. 16, 2016	4; Jace Vandebrake, Gonzaga, Apr. 16, 2016   Brennon Anderson, BYU, May 13, 2016	28; Gonzaga 17, USF,  11, Apr. 16, 2016
Most RBI in a Game	12; vs. San Diego, Apr. 22, 2016	4; Brady Bate, vs. San Diego, Apr. 22, 2016;   Allen Smoot, vs. BYU, May 13, 2016	11; BYU, May 13, 2016	6; Jace Vandebrake, Gonzaga, Apr. 16, 2016	17; BYU 11, USF 6, May 13, 2016
Most HR in a Game	2; vs. BYU, May 12, 2016 (Ross Puskarich & Aaron Ping)	1; 5 times   First: Brady Bate, vs. Gonzaga, Apr. 17, 2016	2; Gonzaga, Apr. 16, 2016   BYU, May 13, 2016	2; Jace Vandebrake, Gonzaga, Apr. 16, 2016	3; USF 2, BYU 1, May 12, 2016
Most Stolen Bases in a Game	6; vs. San Diego, Apr. 22, 2016	3; Matt Sinatro, vs. San Diego, Apr. 22, 2016	2; BYU, May 13, 2016	2; Eric Urry, BYU, May 13, 2016	6; USF 6, San Diego 0, Apr. 22, 2016
Most Batters Struck Out in a Game	10; vs. New Mexico, Apr. 13, 2016	8; Anthony Shew, vs. San Diego, Apr. 22, 2016	13; BYU, May 13, 2016	8; Michael Rucker, BYU, May 12, 2016	17; Gonzaga 11, USF 6, Apr. 15, 2016   USF 9, San Diego 8, Apr. 22, 2016
Fewest Hits Allowed in a Game (start at least 5.0 IP)	6; vs. Gonzaga, Apr. 17, 2016	5; Anthony Shew (7.1 IP), vs. San Diego, Apr. 22, 2016	7; Gonzaga, Apr. 15, 2016   BYU, May 14, 2016	5; Brandon Bailey (5.0 IP), Gonzaga, Apr. 15, 2016	15; USF 7, San Diego 8, Apr. 24, 2016
Most Innings Pitched in a Game	9.0; numerous	9.0; James Kannenberg, vs. San Diego, Apr. 24, 2016	9.0; numerous	7.0; Michael Rucker, BYU, May 12, 2016	18.0; numerous
Most Double Plays Turned in a Game	3; vs. San Jose State, Apr. 19, 2016   vs. BYU, May 12, 2016	n/a	3; San Jose State, Apr. 19, 2016	n/a	6; USF 3, San Jose State 3, Apr. 19, 2016