Baseball Field

Eastern's Baseball Field was added to the St. Davids campus in 1966. It was later dedicated to Hendler Field, named for college business manager Col. F.E. Hendler. However, the name has faded into obscurity, and now the field is simply known as the "Baseball Field." The field is currently under construction.

The Baseball Field wasn't added to the campus' athletic fields until February 1966, with all games prior being played off campus at nearby high school fields. A friend of then-president Dr. McDormand gave a $1,000 donation to help build the field which then combined with other monies being raised throughout 1965.

The field was later dedicated on May 17, 1969 as Hendler Field, named for Col. F.E. Hendler who was the college's business manager from 1959-1969. Col. Hendler had passed away suddenly on March 9, 1969, with the field being named in his honor for his many years of service.

By 2016, the field had earned the name "The Yard," a name which has stuck since. This name first appeared in the box score during a game where the Eagles won against Wilkes with a score of 10-2.

Dugouts were not added to the field until November 1990, thanks to a $5,000 donation from various alumni. More upgrades have occurred over the years, such as a manually-operated scoreboard added to left field in 2013, a new netting system to protect nearby Gallup Residence Hall installed in 2019, and batting cages behind the visitors bullpen were built in 2021.

However, big changes are coming to the baseball field, starting in September 2024. New dugouts and bullpens are planned to be added, along with upgraded sound systems and scoreboard and a brand new synthetic turf field that can be used year-round. The construction is planned to be completed by Spring 2025.

"Athletic Fields." Folder in Eastern University Archives. Located at Warner Memorial Library, Eastern University, St. Davids, PA, 19087.

"Attack Fatal to Col. Hendler." The Spotlight. Vol. XVII, No.8. March 22, 1969. https://rescarta.eastern.edu/ResCarta-Web/jsp/RcWebImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=ea76379f-3855-4c05-9d40-099882bc532b/easa0000/20110817/00000304

"Golden Eagles Look to Successful Season." The Spotlight. Vol. XVII, No.10. March 23, 1970. https://rescarta.eastern.edu/ResCarta-Web/jsp/RcWebImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=ea76379f-3855-4c05-9d40-099882bc532b/easa0000/20110817/00000317

"The Yard." Eastern University Athletics. https://goeasterneagles.com/facilities/the-yard/4

"Eastern University Begins State-of-the-Art Renovations on Baseball Field." Eastern University. https://www.eastern.edu/news/baseball-renovations