Cliff Hagan Stadium (Officially named Shively Field at Cliff Hagan Stadium) was a baseball stadium located in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Cliff Hagan Stadium or better known to Kentucky Wildcat baseball fans as "The Cliff" is on the southwest side of the university's campus, two blocks away from Kroger Field. Since its opening in 1969, the University of Kentucky Baseball called this place home for just under 50 years. The Wildcats then opened a $49 million baseball stadium called Kentucky Proud Park in 2019. Cliff Hagan Stadium had 7 coaches during its time and 15 All Americans. The stadium was renamed in 1993 in honor of Cliff Hagan, the Basketball Hall of Famer who had played at Kentucky during the 1950s under Adolph Rupp and returned to Kentucky as athletic director after his professional basketball playing days. It was extensively renovated in 2002. Following its final 2018 season, while construction was ongoing on its nearby replacement, it was used for UK baseball summer camps.[2] In 2021, “The Cliff” has been an abandoned stadium for over 2 years and is not in use.
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| Former names | Bernie A. Shively Sports Center (1969-1993) |
|---|---|
| Location | 700 Jerry Claiborne Way Lexington, Kentucky 40506 |
| Owner | University of Kentucky |
| Operator | University of Kentucky |
| Capacity | 3,000 |
| Field size | Left Field: 340 feet Left Center: 365 feet Center Field: 390 feet Right Center: 350 feet Right Field: 310 feet[1] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1968 |
| Opened | 1969 (renovated 1990, 2002) |
| Closed | 2018 |
| Demolished | 2023 |
| Construction cost | USD4.2 million (2002 renovation) |
| Tenants | |
| Kentucky Wildcats (NCAA) (1969-2018) | |
In the wake of the Wildcats' surprising success in the 2006 season, which saw them win a regular-season Southeastern Conference title for the first time in over 30 years, coach John Cohen was signed to a five-year contract extension. A clause in the contract commits the university to either renovating or replacing the stadium. If construction on a new or renovated stadium does not start in 2008 or sooner, Cohen was free to walk away from the contract without a financial penalty.[citation needed] However, Cohen left the program at the end of the 2008 season for his alma mater Mississippi State, where he served as athletic director from 2016 to 2022. His assistant Gary Henderson was then given the head coaching job.[3]
Reuse of stadium site edit
Cliff Hagan stadium held its last game on May 13, 2018. Following the 2018 season and the stadiums closing summer camps were held at "The Cliff" for one more summer. But, in 2019 the University of Kentucky totally abandoned this stadium even through having a 4.2 million. dollar renovation in 2002. It was later demolished and the land was used for a new indoor track and field complex. [4]
Stadium records edit
- Longest Winning Streak: 12 (2012)
- Most Runs Scored by UK: 27 vs. Tennessee-Martin (March 10, 2007)
- Most Runs Scored by Both Teams: 44 - Mississippi State 28, Kentucky 16 (1989)
- SEC Series Sweeps (3-game series): 12
- SEC Series Wins (3-game series): 45
All-Americans edit
| Year | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Jimmy Sherrill | OF |
| 1981 | Jeff Keener | P |
| 1987 | Terry Shumpert | 2B |
| 1988 | Chris Estep | OF |
| 1991 | Rick Norton | 3B |
| 1993 | Brad Hindersman | DH |
| 1994 | Jeff Abbott | OF |
| 1996 | Chad Green | OF |
| 1996 | Sam White | 2B |
| 1999 | John Wilson | C |
| 2006 | Ryan Strieby | 1B |
| 2007 | Sean Coughlin | C |
| 2008 | Sawyer Carroll | OF |
| 2008 | Collin Cowgill | OF |
| 2014 | A.J. Reed | 1B |
List of coaches at Cliff Hagan Stadium edit
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| Nick Mingione | 2017–Present |
| Gary Henderson | 2009-2016 |
| John Cohen | 2004-2008 |
| Keith Madison | 1979-2003 |
| Jordan Horne | 1973-1978 |
| Dick Parsons | 1970-1972 |
| Abe Shannon | 1966-1969 |
References edit
- ^ "Cliff Hagan Stadium". University of Kentucky. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ "2018 Kentucky Baseball Camps". Kentucky Wildcats. March 20, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ^ Harvey Lewis (June 6, 2008). "Cohen Leaves For Mississippi State Job, Henderson Hired". Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ "Construction Completed on Jim Green Track & Field Center". 13 December 2023. UK Athletics. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ "Cliff Hagan Stadium". University of Kentucky Athletics. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
- ^ "Kentucky Wildcats baseball", Wikipedia, 2021-02-27, retrieved 2021-12-07
- ^ "University of Kentucky Baseball History - The Baseball Cube". www.thebaseballcube.com. Retrieved 2021-12-07.