In 1999, our firm designed a completely new baseball stadium for Oregon State University, upgrading Coleman Field, which is the oldest active baseball field on a college campus in the United States. Goss Stadium is a state-of-the-art college baseball facility with seating for 1,460 people. When the Beavers’ baseball program won their first NCAA World Series Championship in 2006, the University decided to expand the baseball facilities to seat approximately 3,000 spectators and provide other amenities.
Completed in November 2008, the stadium expansion provides a seamless continuation of the original stadium façade which fits into the context of the college campus with the use of brick and arches. The expansion bends towards the diamond to provide better viewing opportunities while maintaining campus pedestrian and vehicular service accesses. For cost considerations, the design avoided conflicts with the existing field light standards and one existing bullpen.
The design includes additional seating along the right and left field baselines, a new sky box viewing area with covered exterior box seats for booster club supporters of the program, an academic center for baseball athletes, and a reception/display area for baseball memorabilia of the fine history of Oregon State Baseball, including the NCAA World Series Championship trophies. The expanded facility also provides additional handicap accessible restrooms, expanded concourse viewing areas, storage areas for university athletics, sitework, and new technological infrastructure for the outfield scoreboard and television production trucks. The new seating brings spectators down to field level providing optimal views and maintains the intimacy of the college game.