SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Drury University baseball team is returning to its original home at Meador Park beginning in 2024.
According to a press release from the university, the move was made through a collaboration with the Springfield Parks Board and a year-long fundraising effort by the Office of University Advancement. This resulted in $1.5 million in renovations to the stadium.
The stadium improvements include:
- A full field turf with an artificial surface replacing the current grass field
- A new full outfield metal 12-foot fence
- New foul poles
- Repaired and restored scoreboard, speaker system and Wi-Fi
- Painted concessions and dugouts
- Drury signage and advertising around the park
- New dugout benches, bat racks and helmet racks
- New dugout protective fencing, netting and padding
- Portable mound and base plugs to host different age groups at different distances
- Main entrance restoration
- Park usage agreement for fifteen years
- Name recognition of Mark Worley Field at Meador Park for the next ten years
The field will be named Mark Worley Field through 2033 after a lead donation from Bryan Magers, who wanted to honor his friend. Long-time Springfield resident, John Cooper, of Harry Cooper Supply, alongside an anonymous donor, were also major contributors to the overall project.
Meador Park served as the home stadium for Drury Baseball when they re-launched the program in 2006. They moved to US Baseball Park/Sky Bacon Stadium in Ozark in 2016.
