Larry Mahaney Baseball Diamond
Larry Mahaney Diamond on the Campus of Saint Joseph's College is one of the finest small-college baseball facilities in the country and received the prestigious College Division ABCA/TURFACE Field Maintenance Award in 2008.
Although the baseball program at St. Joe's began in the early 1970's, it was not until 1986 that the Monks actually played a home game on the Sebago Lake campus. In 1988, lights were added making the facility the only fully-lighted collegiate baseball/softball complex in New England.
While these were huge steps in the history of the baseball
program, they were only the first in the development of what has
become one of the finest baseball facilities anywhere. On September
29, 2001, Saint Joseph's College officially dedicated its baseball
field, Larry Mahaney Diamond, in honor of Maine businessman and
philanthropist Larry Mahaney.
Due to the generous support of the institution, the philanthropy
of Larry Mahaney and the dedication of players and coaches, Larry
Mahaney Diamond features many outstanding amenities, including:
*Full Infield Turf Renovation - completed 2005
*Lights - upgraded in 2003
*Brick Wall Backstop- constructed in 2003
*On-Field Locker Room - upgraded in 2003
*Fiber Optic Phone and Data Service to Press Box
*Public Address System
*Nevco 324 sq. ft. Inning-by-Inning Scoreboard
*Two Outdoor Batting Cages
*12-Station Toss and "T" Area
*6 Bullpen Mounds
*Fully Equipped Press Box
*500 Seat Bleacher Area
*Concession Stand
*Full Infield Tarp
*In-Ground Irrigation System
*Wooden Outfield Fence
*Alumni Box Overlooking Home Dugout
*Some of the Best Infield/Outfield Turf in New England
Coach Sanborn on the future for Larry Mahaney Diamond: "Continual
improvement to the baseball facility is a key part of my coaching
philosophy. I want players in our program to realize that things
are always moving forward with regard to both the program and the
facility. It is exciting to be a part of a team that is always
reaching for new heights."
Future plans for Larry Mahaney Diamond include the addition of
another "Alumni Box" over the first base dugout, new seating behind
home plate and the addition of another light pole. "When I played
at St. Joe's, we didn't have our own baseball field. We had to
drive off campus to practice and play. To go from having nothing to
having one of the top facilities around is something we are very
proud of. The progress we have made over the last 15 years has been
remarkable. We are very fortunate to have the support of both the
institution and donors like Larry Mahaney."
Larry Mahaney Diamond has been the host site for many prestigious
baseball tournaments, including the Maine State High School
Baseball Tournament, New England Babe Ruth Baseball Tournament,
Maine American Legion Baseball Tournament, NAIA New England
Tournament and NAIA Super Regional Tournament. In recent years,
Mahaney Diamond has been the site of the North Atlantic Conference
and Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournaments.
In February 2006, the Maine sports community suffered a terrible
loss with the death of Larry Mahaney. Mr. Mahaney's vision and
generosity not only benefited Saint Joseph's college, but countless
others, including the University of Maine, where the baseball
field, Mahaney Diamond, is also named in his honor. Larry Mahaney
was also the driving force behind the Maine High School Senior
All-Star Game.
Larry Mahaney's legacy will live forever at Larry Mahaney Diamond
at Saint Joseph's College.
