EVANSVILLE - On a chilly November day, members of German American Bank and the University of Evansville ceremoniously broke ground on the new German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

"It's so transformational for our department. It's something we've been working towards for so long," said UE Director of Athletics Mark Spencer. "Finding such a wonderful partner in German American to come on board and see the vision that we have, not only for UE, but for the whole community, this is really is just exciting to see that movement. It's like Christmas come early for us."

In July, it was announced that German American Bank had made a financial commitment to University of Evansville athletics that would result in an impressive renovation to the Aces baseball stadium, which would now be named "German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium." Included in the renovations will be a full Astroturf field, padded walls throughout the entire stadium with new fence lines down the first and third base lines, dugout and bullpen renovations as well as a new LED scoreboard.

"It's just outstanding each and every day coming out here to see the transformation. Not just the ground being transformed, but it's program being transformed right now," said Aces head baseball coach Wes Carroll. "Having the University and German American Bank get behind the baseball program really shows the dedication to uplifting our program to a national stage."

 

Start of a new era in Aces baseball.

Groundbreaking on the new @_GermanAmerican Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium begins today. #ForTheAces pic.twitter.com/cbVOvTxlDk

— UE Aces Baseball (@UEAthleticsBASE) November 7, 2019

Joining Mark Spencer, Wes Carroll, and University of Evansville President Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz for the groundbreaking were chairman and CEO of German American Bancorp Inc. Mark Schroeder and German American Regional President John Lamb.

"I think this project really means a few things; one is for our student-athletes first and foremost because our student-athletes get to play in a first-class facility," said University of Evansville President Pietruszkiewicz. "They didn't have the opportunity to do that before so they get to compete with the rest of the teams in the Missouri Valley Conference. For the University, it's the first sign of progress. It is the first sign of us moving forward on a lot of building projects to help elevate our university and make sure that our student-athletes and our students have the type of facilities they expect as coming to be part of the University of Evansville."
 

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