New Mexico athletics has teamed up with a new partner, and with it a new name for the University’s baseball field.
On Friday UNM reached a 10-year agreement with Tamaya Enterprises to rename the Lobos’ home stadium Santa Ana Star Field. According to the Albuquerque Journal, UNM and its newest partner were working on a 10-year contract worth $1 million, although the final amount was not disclosed in the release.
Head coach Ray Birmingham described the contract as a “step in the right direction.”
“I mean, this program has been ranked in the top-25 six out of the last eight years,” Birmingham said in a phone interview. “And it hasn’t had a public restroom for the fans, and it hasn’t decent facilities. It hasn’t had a locker room that was theirs all the time. It hasn’t had a press box that can hold more than five… all of that stuff.”
The field has already received donations and financial assistance to help upgrade the facilities, which underwent a $3.5 million renovation back in 2014. Birmingham said the upgrade is a direct reflection of the community’s effort to provide a positive ambiance for the baseball and softball teams.
“This is a very positive thing. One more step of New Mexicans helping New Mexicans,” Birmingham said. “Everybody that has chipped in on this from Santa Ana to the clubhouse are New Mexico businessmen or private citizens that just want to help New Mexico.”
UNM’s Board of Regents approved the $2.3 million R.D. and Joan Dale Hubbard Clubhouse on Friday, Nov. 20. Currently the baseball team shares a locker room with the basketball program, forcing the Lobos to trek across the parking lot in order to change at WisePies Arena aka the Pit.
However, with construction set to begin on Dec. 16, the baseball team is expected to be able to change in their own locker room starting sometime in May, Birmingham said. Aside from $200,000 from the state, the clubhouse will be privately funded.
“This is a great step forward for our baseball program,” Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs said in a release. “Coach Birmingham has done a tremendous job on and off the field, and a new clubhouse will give him another tool to continue to compete for Mountain West championships and hopefully reach the College World Series.”
Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs also concurred with UNM’s head coach in applauding the positive intentions of the New Mexico community.
“We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with Tamaya Enterprises who have been long-standing supporters of the Lobos. The field naming rights is a great example of their commitment to the community and provides us an opportunity for Lobo Athletics to give back to the Pueblo of Santa Ana,” Krebs said in the release. “The beneficiary of these field naming rights is not just our baseball program but our entire community and state.”
A Santa Ana Star Field logo will face UNM’s football stadium on the exterior outfield fence. The Lobos and Tamaya Enterprises will work in collaboration to design the mutually agreed upon field logo for the newly re-named stadium.
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“The Pueblo of Santa Ana is proud to continue our community support and partnership with UNM Lobo sports,” said the Tamaya Enterprises Board of Directors in the release. “When bringing together different cultures, a relationship is founded, a relationship that grows into opportunities for a community and its people.”
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at assistantsports@dailylobo.com or on twitter @Liam_CE.
