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Lycoming College is one step closer to realizing the next phase of enhancing its baseball complex with stadium lighting through a $180,000 grant provided through the Williamsport Lycoming Competitive Grant Program at First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania.
Lycoming College now calls Brandon Park home of Warrior Baseball. The Lycoming College Baseball Complex, in partnership with the City of Williamsport, has created a permanent home for Lycoming’s baseball program with a first-rate baseball facility in the heart of the park. This ongoing project will create a premier field to practice and compete for Lycoming’s student-athletes, and it will reflect the College’s commitment to excellence in its academic and athletic facilities. The project will create a one-of-a-kind facility that embraces the distinctive features of a community park while attracting the highest caliber student-athletes to Lycoming.
Both the College and City already have invested nearly $5 million to renovate the senior baseball field in the park, creating a desirable venue benefiting not only collegiate athletics but the wider community. The total estimate for this next phase of the project — including stadium lights, light poles, and installation — is $635,000.
“Lycoming baseball is more than just a collegiate program. It has quickly become part of the fabric that is bringing the community together in Brandon Park,” says Robb Dietrich, interim vice president of advancement at Lycoming College. “The College is grateful to the Williamsport Lycoming Competitive Grant Program at First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania for helping to fund the highly anticipated lighting phase of the baseball complex. The remaining funds will be raised from a pool of Lycoming alumni and friends committed to the project.”
After a 52-year hiatus, Lycoming welcomed the return of men’s baseball, and the team began using the facility in Spring 2024, following the completion of the project’s first phase. However, the stadium was conceived not only as a college but as a community asset, and the most important component of the project’s final phase in terms of community access is lighting. Installation of stadium lighting will allow local school and recreational teams greater field availability and will also expand opportunities for Lycoming-hosted camps and clinics for area youth.
The Lycoming College Baseball Complex in Brandon Park is the only high-quality turf field in the area accessible for public use. Additionally, Bowman Field, which has been used in the past for high school playoff competition, has grown less accessible due to field regulations related to MLB’s annual Little League Classic.
“Lycoming is using its baseball complex for the betterment of youth and high school baseball in Lycoming County by promoting inclusive camps for all ages and skill levels,” says Glenn Smith II ’07, athletics development and major gifts at Lycoming College. “From Little League teams to high school programs, our facility has already been used by the community when natural fields were too wet and to showcase rivalry contests from local teams.”
“During the summer of 2024, our baseball program hosted its first youth camps in Brandon Park with 80+ campers in attendance. In 2025, we hosted three youth camps with 140+ in attendance,” continues Smith. “With the addition of stadium lighting, Lycoming will be able to do even more for our team and the greater community.”
Stadium lighting will provide school and community groups with an unduplicated asset in the region – a high-quality turf field on which to play regardless of time of day. Because the College will provide access to the stadium at no cost and will maintain the stadium, this provides a highly convenient opportunity for existing local teams and creates an incentive for new recreational teams to form in the area. Additionally, because of the increased availability for usage, the project will bring new visitors from out of the area to town as spectators, increasing the potential for patronage of local businesses and restaurants.
About First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania
The Foundation works to improve the quality of life in north central Pennsylvania through community leadership, the promotion of philanthropy, the strengthening of nonprofit impact, and the perpetual stewardship of charitable assets. FCFP strives to create powerful communities through passionate giving. For more information, visit www.FCFPartnership.org.
