By Kristofer Karol
The State News

Most teams revel in being able to play at home. But such has not been the case for the MSU baseball team.

Without a lockeroom to call home and a dugout the entire team could fit into, the Spartans have never felt completely comfortable at Kobs Field.

“I hit my head three or four times going down there,” sophomore pitcher Scott Koerber said of the dugouts.

But the days of hitting their heads and changing outside will soon be over. By the start of next season, Kobs Field will be home to two new dugouts and a newly remodeled lockeroom will be in nearby Jenison Field House.

“We’re ecstatic,” Koerber said. “These dugouts were pretty old.”

The old dugouts have already been removed, and work on the new dugouts will begin shortly.

Drainage problems often caused flooding in the old dugouts, with water levels raising well above the ankles.

As annoying as the flooding was, the entire team couldn’t even suffer together. The old dugouts were too small for the entire team to fit into.

“The dugouts were about 4 feet high,” redshirt-freshman pitcher Jon Kowalski said. “You couldn’t even sit in them. They’re terrible.”

Kowalski said the entire team often would not dress because of the lack of space and absence of a lockeroom.

Spartan manager Ted Mahan said the new dugouts will be extended 8 to 10 feet in each direction.

In addition to the dugouts, Mahan said the lockeroom will help more than just team unity.

“We think it’s something that’ll really help,” Mahan said. “From a communications standpoint, the learning situation will be better.”

Both Mahan and junior outfielder Bob Malek agree the dugout and lockeroom will be good for recruiting.

“Teams throughout the nation have these nice facilities, and teams throughout the Big Ten have these lockerooms,” Malek said. “It made us jealous.”

Malek added it was upsetting to not have a lockeroom.

“It’s something that should go along with being an athlete,” he said. “You need a place to put your stuff. We should’ve had this stuff all along.”

The team was able to afford new lockerooms through boosters. Boosters paid $1,000 per locker, and in return, a plaque with their name was placed on a locker for five years. The lockeroom has 32 open-air oak lockers.

The room also is equipped with a computer room. Mahan said the room will be an ideal place for team meetings.

“It’s good to see that things are happening and that the program is moving in the right direction,” Malek said.