The donation comes from Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Bobby Goodfriend and his wife, Wendy. Construction and renovations will begin in May and are expected to be completed by Fall 2025.
Tennessee Wesleyan University has received a significant donation that will allow for the renovation of the university’s baseball field and facilities to better serve the needs of the school’s athletes and teams. The donation comes from longtime Tennessee Wesleyan University supporter and chair of the Board of Trustees Dr. Bobby Goodfriend and his wife, Wendy. The Goodfriends’ donation will support significant renovations, which are expected to be complete by the Fall 2025 semester.
According to an article on Tennessee Wesleyan University’s website, Dr. Tyler Forrest, the university’s president, was quoted as saying of the Goodfriends’ donation, “This is a major event for Tennessee Wesleyan and our baseball program. Bobby and Wendy’s substantial investment in our facilities demonstrates their shared vision of support for our student-athletes and our dedication to providing them with the best resources to succeed on and off the field.”
The renovations are planned to improve the experience of the fans as well as the athletes. The field will receive new lighting, a video scoreboard, a new outfield wall and an expanded outfield, more restrooms, more seating, a renovated concessions area, and a new pressbox. The field will also be renamed to the Bobby Goodfriend Field at Athens Insurance Stadium. Currently, it is named after Dr. Jack Bowling. His name will be relocated to the new concourse area.
Speaking of his and his wife’s decision to contribute to the renovation project, Dr. Goodfriend said, “As proud supporters of Tennessee Wesleyan University, Wendy and I are honored to lend our support to this project. Coach Berry and his staff have a wonderful program, and I am hopeful the bleachers will be full to cheer on the Bulldogs when the renovations are complete.”
The school is hopeful that these significant improvements would position the university to host the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament, which would be a recruitment booster for athletics. The athletics director Donny Mayfield noted, “These enhancements will allow us to attract top talent and provide our athletes with a first-class environment to compete. We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Goodfriend and Wendy for their support of TWU Baseball.”
For more information about Tennessee Wesleyan University, visit the school’s website.