Harris Field History

Loyd Harris had a vision back in the 1930s of establishing a quality baseball field in Lewiston. Known as 'Mr. Baseball,' Harris was a shrewd businessman and baseball fan, and he successfully spearheaded an effort to establish a park.

Today, he would be proud to see what has become of his vision.

During the first few decades after the park was built, small improvements to Harris Field helped it become home to a Class A minor league baseball team for the Oakland Athletics. Harris Field also was the home to the Lewis-Clark State College baseball program, which officially started in 1971, and the Lewis-Clark Twins and Cubs American Legion programs..

The big changes started in 1984 when LCSC served as host to the Avista NAIA World Series for the first time. Fast forward from the first Series to 2020 when Harris Field will host the tournament for the 29th time with more than one million fans passing through its gates. About the only thing that is still the same from 1984 to today is the layout of the field. Everything else, from the grass to the concession area to the grandstand, has changed.

Prior to the 1984 Series, the only seating was the grandstand behind home plate. To help accommodate the expected larger crowds for the first event, LCSC rented and bought bleachers from the University of Idaho and Lewiston High and put them down the left-field line. Permanent bleachers eventually were added behind the left-field fence.

The first seating project eliminated the aluminum bleachers in the grandstand behind home plate and also saw the present press box constructed, which doubled the size of the old press box.

The construction continued with the building of the seating down the first- and third-base lines, along with improvements to the outfield bleachers. A lighting project more than a decade ago had a huge impact. No longer would television broadcasts have a problem with deep fly balls that seemed to disappear into the darkness of the night.

In 2016, the field was dug up and leveled, which eliminated a drop of approximately three feet from home plate to the right-field fence. With the field dug up, it was an optimum time to install a new irrigation system and build new dugouts that were installed below ground level instead of being field level. Finally, a new backstop area was installed.

The most significant makeover occurred in 2017 and turned the facility into one of the finest college baseball venues in the Pacific Northwest.

Under the leadership of then-athletic director Gary Picone, LCSC put together a four-phase project that completely changed the park. This featured new seating, a new façade, and even a new name.

The project, however, didn't come together that easily because of the unusual winter weather Lewiston had. At one point in February, about (story continued from page 4) a week before the scheduled season opener, crews were installing the new grandstand seats in a major snowstorm in an effort to complete the project on time.

The first phase of the project was the demolition and removal of the old grandstands and seats, which took place in the fall of 2016. A new foundation was poured and a new grandstand was built. The new seats installed allowed for more seating and leg room to help with comfort. That phase of the project cost approximately $950,000.

The second phase is noticeable in right field with the addition of a state-of-the-art video display board, which replaces the old scoreboard and readerboard. The new board's dimensions are 24-feet, 4-inches tall by 32-feet, 9-inches wide. The cost was approximately $300,000, which was generously donated by Potlatch #1 Federal Credit Union. The new board has the capabilities of showing videos and game replays, and has a clear view regardless of the location of the sun. The installation of the new board took place in February 2017.

The next phase was the renovation of the first- and third-base decking and seating areas, which was completed in April 2017. Over the winter of 2017-18, new seating was installed in both the left- and right-field bleachers – courtesy of the generous donations of lumber by Bennett Lumber and Idaho Forest Group.

The renovated seating area is connected to the Ed Cheff Stadium, which is named in honor of LCSC's legendary coach, Ed Cheff. During his tenure with the Warriors, Cheff won 16 national titles and is the NAIA's all-time leader in wins at one school.

In April 2017, LCSC held a ceremony to honor Cheff and dedicate the ballpark in his name. Cheff, who now lives in Sequim, Wash., posted a 1,705-430-2 record for a .799 winning percentage. Under his leadership, LCSC won at least 40 games for 30 successive seasons and produced 114 draft picks in the Major League Draft, with 16 of those players making it to the big leagues.

The stadium phase also included the completion of the backside of the grandstand area with the addition of brick columns and displays for LCSC baseball, along with a vendor area. The brick façade continues down both the left-field and right-field bleachers.

The construction also changed the look under the bleachers. Instead of the metal structure that used to exist underneath the grandstands, there is usable storage space or space that can be converted to locker rooms. This phase cost $250,000.

In all, the changes at the ballpark in 2017 totaled more than $1.5 million. Over the past five years, more than $2 million was spent on the field and stadium.

The improvements are part of LCSC's on-going efforts to continue to be the host for the annual Avista NAIA World Series. LCSC recently received a three-year extension to host the tournament through 2024.