WVU Plans to Hire Architect to Study Expansion Options at Kendrick Family Ballpark
WVU Plans to Hire Architect to Study Expansion Options at Kendrick Family Ballpark
Wren Baker discusses the possibility of growing the capacity at the baseball stadium.Schuyler Callihan|
West Virginia baseball isn't some overnight success story. In fact, it's far from it.
The success they have experienced over the past three years isn't just some random blip on the radar, either. Over the last fourteen years, the duo of Randy Mazey and Steve Sabins has built a program and one that is now on the verge of being considered a national power.
This summer, we saw 96,020 fans file into Kendrick Family Ballpark to watch the Mountaineers play, and no, that doesn't include the folks who watched games from Randy's Ridge during the regional and super regional rounds.
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That shot of the crowd on the Ridge during the Omaha clincher against Cal Poly is hard to believe, especially if you know where this program came from. Players used to change in the parking lot at old Hawley Field, and there may have been 30 or 40 fans show up to games, most of whom were friends and family of the players and coaches.
Interest in the baseball program is at an all-time high, and it's only going to continue to increase. It became pretty apparent during the NCAA Tournament run that Kendrick Family Ballpark needs to add more seats. Head coach Steve Sabins said it himself.
But will it actually happen?
WVU athletic director Wren Baker discussed the possibility during an appearance on 3 Guys Before the Game.
“People will say, ‘Well, expand the park.’ Well, if you take those two berms and you create some premium space, you did not expand the park. You actually are going to, especially on the third base side, where it’s been standing room only, you go over there and build something, you’re going to reduce capacity."
I know. Probably not the response you were looking for. But wait, there's more.
“We’re going to hire an architect and look at everything very intentionally," he stated. "Where can we potentially expand capacity? Where can we potentially grow premium? Then we’ll test donor interest because if we can’t raise the money to build it, and yes, it brings in another 100 grand, but you’re spending 200-250 grand to satisfy debt service on it, that did not help you at all. Everybody else gets to be emotional and reactionary and just throw things out there. My job is to stay grounded and look analytically and strategically, and to bring in architects and experts to say, ‘Okay, here’s our ballpark. Let’s look at it. What can we do to improve it? What can we do to drive revenue? What can we do to increase capacity?”
Baker also reminded fans of a very important detail, which makes the pursuit of expanding the stadium not as simple as you would think.
“We actually don’t own it. The county does. And there’s another team, another tenant in there in the (West Virginia) Black Bears. And so really, it’s a conversation involving three parties. I don’t think that if we decided we wanted to do something, it should be 100% our expense. We’re definitely willing to participate in that.”
Every penny counts these days
It's easy to scream from the top of Randy's Ridge to expand the park, but it has to make sense financially. And ultimately, there's going to have to be a revenue-generating component to it, especially when you're pouring a huge chunk of money into a sport that doesn't produce profit. So if more seats are added, we will likely also see the addition of premium seating, which is something Baker is bringing more of to Hope Coliseum and Milan Puskar Stadium.
Baker admitted as much during his annual end-of-year press conference back in the spring, stating, "Generally, if a project is not revenue-producing, we’re not tracking on it very much right now."
The fact that they are about to explore options leads me to believe that something will be done at the ballpark. It's just a matter of when, how much of the pie they have to take on, and what it all looks like.
Published 4 minutes ago
SCHUYLER CALLIHANSchuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.
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Fetterman: Dems Nominating Radicals Because They Lack Pride in America
Fetterman: Dems Nominating Radicals Because They Lack Pride in America
Ian Hanchett2 Jul 2026
On Wednesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said that Democrats are nominating far-left candidates because most of them don’t feel pride in being American.
Fetterman said, [relevant remarks begin around 4:40] “[N]ow you’ve seen the new polls, [only] 45% of Democrats are…proud to be American.”
He added, “Well, I’m saying, it’s like, if less than 45% of Democrats are proud to be an American — and I’m insanely proud and grateful to be American — if the numbers are that low, that’s why they are nominating people that are an avowed Communist and have deeply anti- — views. So, for me, that’s distressing to me as a Democrat.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
Marks & Spencer megastore flattened in ‘major milestone’ for UK town centre
Marks & Spencer megastore flattened in ‘major milestone’ for UK town centre
The demolition project cost a whopping £2million.
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Add us as preferred source Comments By Emily Wright, World News Reporter 11:32, Thu, Jul 2, 2026 Updated: 11:33, Thu, Jul 2, 2026 
A huge former Marks & Spencer store has been flattened after sitting empty for nearly a decade, to make way for an impressive town centre regeneration project. The megastore, alongside a former British Home Stores (BHS) site, was demolished in a £2million project in Northampton town centre ahead of the construction of new flats.
West Northamptonshire Council is set to use the area as part of a major development that will regenerate the town. The demolition works, carried out by deconstruction giant Colemans, began in September 2025 and have finally been completed. The project has not been without its challenges, as the flattening of both buildings involved the removal of asbestos. The abandoned shops will be replaced by a £9.7million project to build new retail and leisure spaces in the centre of Northampton. Plans for more than 200 build-to-rent homes are also in the works.
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The completion of the demolition has been hailed as a “significant milestone” for the East Midlands town, which is also one of the largest in England. A Colemans spokesperson said the team worked hard to deliver the project “safely, efficiently and with minimal disruption," The Sun reported.
Reform councillor, Kamala Guliyeva, cabinet member for local economy, culture and leisure at West Northamptonshire Council, explained: “The completion of these demolition works is a significant milestone for Northampton town centre.
“It represents real progress in transforming this key area and creating new opportunities for residents, businesses and visitors,” she added.
“We are committed to bringing forward high-quality development that supports our local economy and helps breathe new life into the town centre, and this work lays the foundations for that next chapter.”
The site has been empty since M&S shut in 2018 and BHS, a department store retailer that primarily sells clothing and household items, two years earlier.
Marks & Spencer closed 27 stores in 2025 and an additional 14 in the first half of 2026, as part of a broader, ongoing company strategy launched in 2022 to reduce its full-line stores from 247 to 180 by 2028. Notable locations shuttered include flagship branches like Wolverhampton in September 2025 and the Riverside Retail Park in Warrington last month.
Meanwhile, BHS, founded in 1928, was one of the UK’s largest high-street department store chains, famous for selling clothing and household goods. After entering administration and closing its final 22 stores in 2016, the brand was revived as an online-only retailer. As of June 2025, it operates one final surviving physical location in Doha, Qatar.
Princess Kate looks gorgeous in blue as she arrives at Wimbledon 2026
Princess Kate looks gorgeous in blue as she arrives at Wimbledon 2026
The Princess of Wales made an appearance at the Wimbledon tennis tournament on Thursday.
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The Princess of Wales returned to Wimbledon today for the first time this year. Princess Catherine, an avid tennis fan, looked incredible in a blue outfit as she arrived at the All England Lawn Tennis Club on day four of the tournament. Catherine wore a mid-blue blazer and colour-matching trousers and paired her suit with a white top. She finished her look with tan pointed heels.
Her hair was in a high ponytail, and her makeup looked fresh and glowy. Catherine, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), was not joined by members of the Royal Family. The princess headed straight to The Queue, a place where members of the public traditionally get to purchase premium tickets on the day of the play, and spent time meeting attendees who had queued up since early this morning.
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The princess took selfies with members of the public and even helped out at the ticket office.
She was joined by AELTC’s Honorary Stewards, who volunteer each year to manage The Queue and welcome guests as they arrive at the Championships.
Speaking to two excited children, she asked them if they were big tennis fans, to which they smiled and nodded.
One attendee congratulated the princess on her recent Three Peaks challenge.
Today, Catherine watched two matches, one of which was between Arthur Fery and Otto Virtanen on Court 18.
She was joined by the chair of the AELTC, Deborah Jevans, and former professional player, Tim Henman.
Catherine then met children from Shine Camera Club, a creative photography programme based within the charity SHINE Merton.
The charity supports children from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop confidence, creativity and self-expression through photography.
The programme was founded in 2021 by photographer, creative practitioner and community activist Cindy Sasha, to ensure that children in Mitcham, many of whom face significant barriers to cultural participation, could access high-quality photography education free of charge.
In 2025, Shine Camera Club took part in a learning programme during The Championships, where students created a portrait series celebrating community trailblazers, which was later exhibited at the Wimbledon Qualifiers.
This year, the children will spend the day taking photos of The Championships before showing their photos to the princess.
Speaking to one child, the princess praised a photo they had taken of a tree, calling it “abstract” and telling them: “I love that.”
While speaking to the group about the importance of photography and arts, she said: “Creativity is such a good way of exploring your emotions”.
The princess also watched the match between British Katie Swan and American Madison Keys. She was seated between British former players Anne Keothavong and Andy Murray.
Catherine and Sir Andy have been friends for many years, with the royal sharing a touching tribute to the tennis star after he played his final Wimbledon match in 2024.
