Where does sfa play baseball?

Description Homer Bryce Stadium, located in Nacogdoches, Texas, is the home of Stephen F. Austin State University's Lumberjack football and Ladyjack and Lumberjack track and field events. The stadium includes a walking and running track open to the public. Wikipedia

Photo Courtesy of SFA Athletics

Jaycees Field

3715 Old Tyler Rd

Nacogdoches, TX 75964

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks website

Jaycees Field website

Year Opened: 2009

Capacity: 1,000

Way out in East Texas sits Nacogdoches, the state’s oldest city and home of Stephen F. Austin State University. The area is part of a greater region known as the Piney Woods, a name that will become obvious on your trek to Jaycees Field. The home of SFA Lumberjack baseball is situated in the middle of a heavily wooded area and is part of the Nacogdoches City Baseball Complex. The partnership between the city and SFA provides not only a home to SFA baseball and softball but also several fields for youth and adult baseball/softball. The complex was originally dedicated in 1980, however, a recent face lift in 2009 allowed for the upgrade of Jaycees Field and for SFA baseball to begin play. The atmosphere isn’t one of the elite, but traveling fans will enjoy the condensed seating area that bring fans together and unifies the crowd noise.

Jaycees Field offers just enough concessions items to get you through the game. A small trailer is located right outside the main entrance on the third baseline. To access, you’ll need to leave the ticketed area and step just outside the stadium. As you enter, you’ll get a stamp on your hand that the usher can use later to allow you easy access in and out. It’s unlikely that you’ll encounter a line as you approach the stand. Your major options include the ballpark staples: hot dogs ($2) and nachos ($2). Snack items include sunflower seeds ($1), popcorn ($2), peanuts ($2), chips ($1), and candy ($2). Drink options are bottled Coca-Cola products and will cost $3. Bottle Dasani water is $2. Though the variety and quality of options is nothing to write home about, at least the pricing isn’t outrageous.

The hot dog is about as plain as it gets, but it’s probably your best option at just $2. The popcorn isn’t that great since it’s prepared before the game and delivered to the stand. I’ve actually overheard fans complaining about how it’s bland, cold, and unsalted. Try a bag of peanuts or sunflower seeds instead. Make sure you bring cash to the park because the stand is cash only.

Jaycees Field is a part of the Nacogdoches City Baseball Complex located a couple of miles away from the university campus. The complex includes several fields for youth baseball and adult softball, as well as the home field for SFA softball. The seating capacity is listed at 1,000 and all seating areas are together surrounding the home plate backstop. This allows the crowd noise to be concentrated and a bit louder than if the seats were spread out. The seating structure is made from aluminum and includes a shade covering above the chair back seats directly in front of the press box. The chair backs are made from a simple plastic and aren’t quite as comfortable as you’d hope. On both sides of the chair backs area are aluminum bleacher seats with no backing.

Looking out towards the field, a thick foul ball netting covers all direction of field view. Though netting is a norm behind home plate, this particular style of netting is a bit to thick and detracts from the overall viewing experience. Beyond the left field line lies an unofficial seating area where about 10 or so fans sit just above the fence in fold-out chairs perched on a stand. A few folks even back their trucks up to the fence and take in the view. On a hot Texas day, the best seating option is the chair backs under the shaded covering.

The backstop is made from a green padding and wraps from both dugouts. Down the right and left field lines is chain link fencing covered by a green wrapping which displays the team name on the right field side and the logos of Southland Conference teams on left. A green aluminum fence lines the outfield wall and a simple electronic scoreboard sits just above the fence in right center field. A heavily wooded area is visible beyond the outfield wall.

The playing surface is a natural grass field which stays in a pretty decent condition. Lining the back of the home plate area is a small strip of artificial turf with “Lumberjacks” on it. The turf doesn’t match the grass color and is fading from excessive wear. The field dimensions are: left field – 330 feet, center field – 400 feet, and right field – 330 feet.

The atmosphere for SFA baseball is traditional. There’s very few (if any) promotions or activities. Music is very limited and the announcer just provides the basic facts of game play. Traditionalists will love it, others would hope for a bit more. The version of Take Me Out To The Ballgame is the traditional organ song with no words.

The immediate area around Jaycees Field is void of any restaurants, attractions, or lodging. The field is located in country setting that is sparsely populated and heavily wooded. However, the greater Nacogdoches area offers some good restaurants and is just about 3 miles east of the stadium.

One of the most popular stops in the area is The Jalapeno Tree which serves up Tex-Mex favorites and some American dishes. While in town, make sure to stop in for their complimentary chips and salsa (the green salsa is amazing) and their absolutely delicious Quail Kabobs. To compliment your meal, grab one of their select Mexican brews or a Coronita (Margarita with a Corona turned upside down inside). A couple of other good options are La Carreta and Clear Springs Restaurant.

While in Nacogdoches, relive a piece of Texas history by visiting the Sterne Hoya House Museum. The house was originally built by Adolphus Sterne and is one of the oldest homes still standing in Texas, bringing visitors back to the time of the Texas Revolution. If you’re looking for a thrill ride, just outside of Nacogdoches is Nac Zip, which offers five different zip lines and hours of fun. On the SFA campus, check out the oldest university arboretum in the state. There are plenty of hotels in the area, but I recommend staying at the Jones House Bed & Breakfast.

Fan support for SFA baseball at Jaycees field could certainly use a bump in attendance. Average crowds usually range between 200 – 300. Though the crowds are small, they are vocal and passionate. It’s hard to tell if its just simply a high level of crowd noise or if the noise is louder due to the condensed seating areas. Either way, you’ll definitely hear the fans during big plays. The fan makeup is largely family oriented with a few older life-long fans. Few students make the trek from the SFA campus to the ballpark.

The Stephen F. Austin State University campus and Jaycees Field are both located just off of Hwy 59 (future I-69 corridor). Be sure to map out the location of Jaycees Field before beginning your trip. Don’t wrongly assume that the ballpark is on the SFA campus. Jaycees Field is located about 3.5 miles west of the SFA campus in the Nacogdoches City Baseball Complex. I usually trust my iPhone map to get me safely to my sports destinations, but Siri was a bit confused on this one. Searches for Jaycees Field came up empty and the address provided on the SFA website got me close, but not on target (I was hopeful the trailer park I arrived at wasn’t part of the stadium). Your best bet is to find it on Yahoo! or Google maps under the Nacogdoches City Baseball Complex search. As you arrive, the signage isn’t obvious and it’s easy to overlook.

As you make it to the park, the parking can be a bit tight depending on the other activities going on in the complex. However, parking is free and you should be able to find a spot. It’s also not easy to tell where the entrance is to the complex. Once you finally find the small walkway leading in, you’ll eventually run into a restroom facility and the stadium becomes in view just beyond that. The ticket line will likely be short and you’ll quickly move through the gate. The concourse is a small walkway at the bottom of the seating areas and next to home plate. The seating areas have an adequate amount of aisles and they are spacious enough to move around comfortably. The restroom and concessions facilities are located outside the seating areas. The restrooms are pretty dingy, but at least you won’t have to hold it since there’s enough room to accommodate the average crowd.

You really can’t beat the overall cost of attending an SFA baseball game at Jaycees Field. Adult ticket prices range from $5 (bleacher) $8 (chair backs). SFA offers a very liberal interpretation of “kids” with the cost of admission at just $3 for those aged 9-18. Children 8 and under are free. Given the strong family crowds, this is great news to SFA supporters and traveling families. Parking is free and a game handout which lists team rosters is also free (no program for sale). Though the concession options are a bit sparse, the pricing isn’t outrageous. Overall, you’ll get to experience a great Southland Conference baseball game for very little cash out of your pocket.

The track and field team will also benefit from a new playing surface starting this year with a high-tech Rekortan BV track system.

Ryan Ivey, the SFA Director of Athletics, says, “This was a project that was really needed. Not just the football field, but the track resurfacing as well. This project is going to impact 60 percent of our student athletes.

According to Ivey, these new installations will benefit almost all of the student-athletes at SFA. And, by choosing the leaders in athletic surface technology, the SFA Athletics program can now boast a top-of-the-line competition surface, improved safety, and impressive aesthetics at Homer Bryce Stadium.

“The softball team, the baseball team, the soccer team, everyone is going to be able to take advantage of this. It’s really alleviated some safety issues and will serve so many athletes.”

The new track features a paved base mat, which boosts resilience, and a top layer of rubber and solid-pour polyurethane.

The field is being expertly installed by Symmetry Sports Construction, a certified AstroTurf distributor.

The football field is an AstroTurf® RootZone 3D3 system, one of AstroTurf’s most popular products. It provides the extreme stability offered by the company’s patented Trionic fibers, along with grass-like traction and improved durability. SFA is also installing a Brock Pad SP 17 underneath the turf system to further enhance shock absorption.

The new football field and track system will be known as the Jimmy W. Murphy Field. Murphy was inducted into the Lumberjack Athletic Hall of Fame in 1979 and has contributed over $2 million to Stephen F. Austin State University over the years to support football scholarships and enrich the SFA football program.

The field is expected to be completed soon, coinciding with the Lumberjack’s flagship year as WAC members. SFA, along with the other Texas 4 schools – Abilene Christian, Lamar, and Sam Houston State – are departing the Southland Conference on July 1st. They will all play in the Southwest Division of the Western Athletic Conference, which also includes UTRGV and Tarleton State.

“I was familiar with AstroTurf from my time at Texas A&M University-Commerce,” Ivey said. “We had AstroTurf on our football and softball fields. There were a lot of data points and references were able to use. This installation is something that can really set us apart.”

“From the customer service at Symmetry Sports and AstroTurf, everyone was so helpful during the entire process. They were great to work with. Everyone was accountable. It wasn’t just show up and put it down. Everyone was here to work through the process.”

SFA has earned numerous accolades over the years. Most noteworthy are recent FCS playoff berths in 2009, 2010, and 2014. Also, just this year, two talented Lumberjacks were named to the 2021 Freshman All-American Team – offensive lineman Justice Guillory and defensive lineman Caleb Fox. Wide receiver Xavier Gipson was made an honoree on the Sophomore All-American Team.